Colombo, July 15 (IANS): A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday issued an order preventing the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from convening a party without the permission of the party head.

The District Court of Colombo issued the order based on a petition filed by SLFP member Prasanna Solangaarachchi, reports Xinhua.

President Maithripala Sirisena is the head of the SLFP. He had opposed an attempt by SLFP general secretary Anura Priyadharshana Yapa to convene a special SLFP Central Working Committee meeting on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, President Sirisena sent a letter to Yapa stating that the meeting cannot be convened without his permission.

The court issued a restraining order on the meeting and it will hear the case on July 29.

The meeting was planned in the backdrop of a statement by Sirisena on Tuesday where he said he had objected to the nominations given to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the August 17 parliamentary polls from the SLFP and the United People's Freedom Alliance.

The president said Rajapaksa would be defeated at the elections just as he was in the presidential election in January.