Ranil Wickramasinghe rejects national list seat

Sri Lanka opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickramasinghe has declined the offer to elect to the parliament through the national list, UNP sources say. 

UNP management committee members have demanded the leader in writing to accept this offer. 

Ranil Wickramasinghe first elected to the parliament in 1977 and failed to elect in the last election due to the party split. He became the leader of the party in 1994 and recently announced that he would retire after the party selected a new leader.

Meanwhile, UNP sources say that party secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has offered to resign if necessary for the party reforms. However, he has not resigned, as media reported. 

United National Party appoints the leader to the parliament

United National Party (UNP) of Sri Lanka has decided to appoint party leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe from the national list to the parliament. 

UNP won only one seat in the parliament at the election held in August. The party did not nominate any name for this national list seat. 

The latest decision has been taken at the management committee held yesterday (November 22). The members of the management committee had requested in writing from the leader to accept the position, UNP former MP Arjuna Ranathunga said. 

Meanwhile, reports say that former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has resigned from the post of UNP general secretary. 

The party is yet to appoint a new secretary.

Ranil Wickramasinghe first elected to the parliament in 1977 and failed to elect in the last election due to the party split. He became the leader of the party in 1994 and recently announced that he would retire after the party selected a new leader. He did not show interest to be elected to the parliament through the national list.   

Was the people's struggle betrayed?

Sources say that Ranil Wickramasinghe has cut a deal with Mahinda Rajapaksha early morning on January 09th for a 'peaceful transition.'

It is the government not taking action against Mahinda regime's corruptions and the opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) guaranteeing parliamentary majority support to Ranil in return.

It is true that the parliamentary majority support is a must for the 100 day programme. But, should it be at such great cost? You are paying with people's interests of punishing the corrupt politicians so as such malpractices may not recur in future.

President Maithreepala and Chandrika must work to muster support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) instead of this kind of deals.

Meanwhile, there is plan to appoint Mahinda as MP to replace Malini Fonseka. The next step is appointing him as Prime Minister to upset the government.

We said earlier that Ranil is having a dinner party with table manners with a savage and end up in the stomach of the latter.

While the new President addresses the nation in Kandy, Mahinda has organized a massive meeting in his fortress in Madamulana. They are planning to come to streets in Colombo against the new government in the coming weeks.

There must not be such deals in the struggle for democracy and freedom. The corrupt politicians must be brought into book. Nobody has right to hide 'files'.

People must take to street to press the government to do this.

Sri Lanka Opposition Leader cuts short the foreign tour to return to deal with the leadership battle

The Leader of Opposition and Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickramasinghe has decided to cut short his tour in UK.

Accordingly, he is to return to Sri Lanka today. He was expected to stay in UK until August 04.
The urgent return of the UNP leader is due to the developments in his party against his leadership. UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya has agreed to accept the party leadership on the invitation of the other deputy leader Sajith Premadasa who openly fought against Wickramasinghe's leadership.

Meanwhile, Karu Jayasuriya who was in India and who was to stay there until August 05 is also to return romorrow to the island, UNP sources say.

Meanwhile, one Sinhala newspaper The Divaina reported today that the UNP leadership had planned to initiate disciplinary action against three MPs representing Southern and Western Province districts. The reporter famous for reporting internal politics of the UNP did not divulge the names of the MPs.


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