The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the dominant party of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, here Saturday endorsed a decision by the party leader and President Mahinda Rajapakse to sack two front line ministers and a junior minister from the government, SLFP officials said.

Rajapakse on Friday sacked from ministerial positions Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriyarachchi in a controversial move.

The SLFP's executive committee met on Saturday evening to discuss the issue and the entire committee had approved the removal of the three ministers, Minister of Justice Dilan Perera said.

He said Rajapakse gave details of an alleged plot by the three ministers to topple the Rajapakse government. Samaraweera, a former foreign minister and the SLFP's treasurer, in a letter to Rajapakse last month had opposed the President decision to take into government fold some 18 members from the main opposition United National Party (UNP).

Bandaranaike, the only brother of Rajapakse's predecessor Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, last week complained of death threats which allegedly came from a section in the government.

Source: Xinhua