Ranil calls people to vote for elephant to save the party

Main opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says that a vote for the elephant at the local government elections in October would help save the party.

Speaking at a meeting of UNP’s Colombo Central organisers, Wickremesinghe has said that no one would be able to help build the party by crossing over to another party.

He has also called for unity within the party and emphasised the need for everyone to work together.

He has added that the UNP had fielded only one list for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), but the pro-reforms group had fielded candidates as an independent group.  According to Wickremesinghe, the party’s plan to develop the Colombo City would be based on improving the living standards of people from the low income groups.

The pro-reformists of the party disillusioned with the leadership have urged Wickremesinghe to step down from the position and hand over the party leadership to Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya but the UNP leader has refused to bow down.

The reformists blame the party leadership for the UNP’s continual failure to win any election held since 2001.