Many popular senior UNPers in the party, says Johnston Fernando:

UNP heavyweights willing to contest Presidential poll

by a political correspondent

A big split in the United National Party is imminent.

UNP National Organiser, S. B. Dissanayake, Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando, former CMC Deputy Mayor Azath Sally and senior members of the party were absent at the UNP convention at the Nawaloka grounds, Mahabage, Welisara yesterday.

Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had destabilised the UNP for the first time in its history. The UNP’s elephant symbol and the party name would not appear on the ballot papers of the upcoming Presidential election, he said. If Ranil Wickremesinghe cannot face the Presidential election he must give a chance to UNP heavyweights such as UNP National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake or UNP Assistant leader Sajith Premadasa who are willing to contest the Presidential poll, Fernando said.

He said that bringing in Sarath Fonseka by sacrificing the party symbol and party name was a cunning step taken by Ranil Wickremesinghe to hang on as Opposition leader until the next Presidential poll after six years, he said. He said that Ranil has no right to talk about democracy and abolishing the executive presidency at this juncture. He must restore democracy in the UNP first, he said. A senior UNPer who wished to remain anonymous, said that they did not want to listen to Fonseka’s speech and they boycotted the UNP Convention.

He said that there was a conspiracy to hoot and throw stones at the UNP rebel group members at the UNP Convention which was planned by Ranil Wickremesinghe loyalists. He said that they need a UNP Presidential candidate since there were many popular UNP seniors within the party which has a 63-year-history.