 In the annals of politics in this country, there is a party that changed the elite pattern of ruling. In the immediate post-independence era, though the concept of nationalism was embedded in the United National Party, it was led and ruled by an elitist class that never breathed real nationalism in this country. The national dress political icon, SWRD Bandaranaike decided to quit the UNP to form the true nationalistic Sri Lanka Freedom Party, a party of the people, a party of the peasants and a party for all.
The SLFP gained strength from day to day. It had its set backs but rose from the debris many a times. When the Bandaranaike crossed over in Parliament, he thought he was by himself. He felt another was following him. He turned back. To his surprise, it was DA Rajapaksa, father of the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa. DA Rajapaksa's presence gave added vigor to Bandaranaike. This combination led the SLFP triumphantly. While the Bandaranaike led till the last decade of the previous century, the Rajapaksa's rule this party from the mid of this decade in this century. Under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, it must be recorded that the SLFP has been induced a bright future in its history. It has grown rapidly since 2005 winning the confidence of the masses and emerging victorious at all polls held in a convincing manner.
The main political organ of Sri Lanka's ruling alliance, Sri Lanka Freedom Party today marks its 59th anniversary (September 2).
SLFP first came to power in 1956 and has grown as the most predominant party in governments on a number of occasions. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is currently the major party in the ruling UPFA (United People's Freedom Alliance). The current leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is His Excellency, Mahinda Rajapaksa,incumbent President of Sri Lanka. Maithripala Sirisena is the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). After independence the SLFP represented a form of non-revolutionary socialism and a policy of non-alignment with strong ties with socialist countries. At the last legislative elections, held on 2 April 2004, the party was the leading party in the United People's Freedom Alliance that won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats. The UPFA on a coalition won 144 seats.
ImageAfter the elections the party became the predominant party in government with Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. In the 17 November 2005 presidential elections, the SLFP candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected President of Sri Lanka - winning 50.3% of the votes cast, although having partial support from his split party.
If someone traces the political history of the post independent Sri Lanka it could be found that left parties have always been able to form coalition government only.In 1956, 1960 and in 1970 the SLFP came in to power with the support of other left parties by arranging 'no contest' pact under the first past the post system
But on the contrary the April 2010 General Election proved other way round. All credit for having transformed the SLFP in to a major political party should go to non other than the President Mahinda Rajapakse himself. In the present legislature the SLFP alone has 117 members which is more than 50% of the total number of MPs. At present the total number of parliamentarians supporting the ruling UPFA has well exceeded two third of the total number of 225 with a clear majority of 154 MPs
If we are tracing the brief history of the party and its founder: In 1951 S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike led his faction, the Sinhala Maha Sabha, out of the ruling UNP and established the SLFP. Bandaranaike had organized the Sinhala Maha Sabha in 1937 in order to promote Sinhalese culture and community interests. Since the 1950s, SLFP platforms have reflected the earlier organization's emphasis on appealing to the sentiments of the Sinhalese masses in rural areas. To this, basis has been added the anti establishment appeal of non revolutionary socialism. On the sensitive issue of language, the party originally espoused the use of both Sinhala and Tamil as national languages, but in the mid-1950s it adopted a "Sinhala only" policy. As the champion of the Buddhist religion, the SLFP has customarily relied upon the socially and politically influential Buddhist clergy, the sangha, to carry its message to the Sinhalese villages.
Another important constituency has been the Sinhalese middle class, whose members have resented alleged Tamil domination of the professions, commerce, and the civil service since the British colonial era. In contrast to the free market orientation of the UNP, the SLFP's policies have included economic self sufficiency , nationalization of major enterprises, creation of a comprehensive welfare state, redistribution of wealth, and a nonaligned foreign policy that favored close ties with socialist countries. It has, however, refused to embrace Marxism as its guiding ideology.
Like the UNP, the SLFP has been a "family party." S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was assassinated in 1959. After a brief and somewhat chaotic interregnum, his widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was chosen as party leader. In the July 1960 general election, the party won 75 out of 151 parliamentary seats, and in a coalition with Marxist parties, Mrs. Banaranaike became the world's first democratically elected female head of government. Although she was obliged to step down from party leadership after her civil rights were taken away in October 1980, she resumed leadership of the SLFP on January 1, 1986.
In 1977 six members of the SLFP left the party and formed a new group, the People's Democratic Party (PDP--Mahajana Prajathanthra). A second group, the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLMP--Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya), was formed in 1984 by a daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Chandrika Kumaratunge, and her husband Vijaya Kumaratunge. They claimed that the original SLFP, under the leadership of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's son, Anura, was excessively right wing and had become an instrument of the Jayewardene government. Although Sirimavo Bandaranaike reentered politics and assumed a leadership position within the SLFP after her 1986 pardon, Anura Bandaranaike remained leader of the parliamentary opposition. Neither the PDP nor the SLPP had representation in Parliament in 1988.
ImageDuring the late 1980s, the SLFP and the breakaway SLPP remained split on the sensitive issue of negotiations with Tamil separatists. The former opposed the granting of significant concessions to the militants while the latter joined the UNP in supporting them. In 1986
Sirimavo Bandaranaike and politically active members of the Buddhist leadership established the Movement for Defense of the Nation in order to campaign against proposed grants of regional autonomy to the Tamils.  
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A senior US lawmaker on Monday urged Sri Lanka to take concrete action on human rights after a UN panel found credible allegations of war crimes in the bloody 2009 finale to the civil war.
