UNP undecided over CPC Opposition Leader

By Indika Polkotuwa

The Advisory Committee of the United National Party is yet to take a final decision over the appointment of Opposition Leader of the Central Provincial Council due to the disagreements among UNP members in the Council on the name proposed by the party leadership.

According to Party sources the UNP leader Ranil Wickreamesinghe has given powers to the Advisory Committee to resolve the issue.

The appointment became controversial issue when the UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake sent a letter to CPC Chairman, Mahinda Abeykone to appoint former parliamentarian Ranjith Aluvihare as the Opposition Leader.

The majority in the Opposition opposed that move and handed over a letter to the Chairman of the Council to appoint Lucky Jayawardhana as the Leader. Following this request all the UNP Members of the CPC were summoned to the UNP headquarters Sirikotha to resolve the issue.

However, the party leadership was not able to reach a consensus and the issue has now been passed to the UNP Advisory Committee.

It has been reported that since the Advisory Committee which met on October 1, also failed to take a final decision over the appointment, decided to summon Lucky Jayawardhana and Ranjith Aluvihare to ‘Sirikotha’ on October 4 as they are struggling to resolve the issue before the second session of the Council to be held on October 5.