UNP Working Committee to address leadership issue

The Working Committee of Sri Lanka’s major opposition United National Party (UNP) is expected to deal with the party leadership issue when it meets on 17 August.

UNP sources say a group of pro-reformist party members led by Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa is preparing to propose co-Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya’s name for the party leadership, at the Working Committee meeting.

They are also to propose the current Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to cooperatively step down from the party leadership and handover the leadership to Karu Jayasuriya, and continue as the Leader of the Opposition.

The major opposition party has been weakened considerably over the past few years under the leadership of Party and Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe and the party is plagued with a leadership crisis.

A Parliamentary Group meeting of the UNP is to be held on 9 August ahead of the Working Committee meeting.

Following the dismal performance of the party at the recently-held local elections, Premadasa asked Jayasuriya to assume the leadership of the party. Jayasuriya has expressed his willingness to step into the leadership role.

However, under the Constitution of the party, all leading officials are to be elected by members’ vote.  The once powerful party has failed win any general or local elections held since 2001.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has said earlier that any decision with regard to the party’s future would be made according to the party Constitution that was passed last year and it clearly states the manner in which appointments are made to posts in the party, including the leadership.

However, the Party Leader is accused of violating rules of the new Constitution by appointing UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake as the National Organiser of the party over the nominee of the Deputy Leader. Karunanayake’s appointment is being challenged in court.

(www.colombopage.com)