Fifty fifth UNP Convention held

by Jaliya Wijeyekoon

The 55th Annual convention of the United National Party was held at its headquarters, Siri Kotha, Pittakotte yesterday under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was attended by a large number of party supporters from all electorates of the country.

All leadership council members and front-runners of the party who held different views on some crucial issues unanimously endorsed and ratified the proposals submitted by the General Secretary of the party which were formulated by the working committee with the consensus of the leadership council.

Opposition leader and National Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe paid a glowing tribute to all past leaders of the party.

He profusely thanked the outgoing chairman of the party, the most senior parliamentarian from Kurunegala district, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera for the invaluable services he rendered to the party during the past four decades and presented a memento amidst the applause from those present.

He called upon everybody to extend his or her fullest cooperation to the leadership council and sort out petty differences if there is any, without providing ammunition to the government to sling mud.

The Opposition Leader was confident of forming a UNP government in 2014 and instructed everybody to carry out his share of responsibility with sense of honesty and intergrity.

The Chairman of the Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya, Colombo district parliamentarians Wijayadasa Rajapaksa and Rosy Senanayake, Badulla district young parliamentarian Harin Fernando made inspiring speeches with regard to political situation in the country and the economic problems faced by the masses and called upon all stakeholders of the party to rise up with one voice to form a UNP government at the next general election.

The new resolutions passed by the entire membership are as follows:

1.A new mechanism to lend the UNP to victory.

2.To rise up with one voice to install a government to provide relief to the people.

3.Abolition of Executive Presidency and empowering the parliament.

4.Elimination of waste and corruption to bring down the cost of living.