Crisis takes new turn:

Delaying tactics will hit UNP supporters- Thalatha

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

The United National Party (UNP) leadership is acting in a manner which is damaging the credibility of millions of UNP supporters all over the country by delaying the party reforms, said Ratnapura district UNP parliamentarian Thalatha Athukorale.

She is one of the UNP MPs who had decided to remain independent in Parliament following the tussle with the party leadership.

UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is faced with a severe threat to his leadership in the party and his Opposition leader portfolio.

A group of 28 UNP MPs had decided last week to sit as independent MPs in Parliament if the leadership crisis in the party was not settled soon. Their decision to sit as independent MPs is a sequel to denying them the opportunity to meet party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss urgent matters relating to the party’s future.

Athukorale said that they cannot allow the leadership crisis to continue and delay the party reforms which will eventually damage the party and the fate of millions of UNP supporters in the country.

We want to lead the UNP to victory, she said. Last week we called upon the leadership to hold a group meeting immediately.

The party leadership which did not heed our request has not even fixed a date for such a meeting, she said. UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that they had been talking about revamping the party for many years. So far nothing has happened.

This has posed a serious problem to all UNP supporters and members. We have called upon the leader to seek an urgent solution to the current deadlock.

“I will raise this matter again on Tuesday and if there is no positive response the 28 MPs will sit in Parliament as independent MPs”, he said.

The number of UNP MPs in Parliament will drop to 15 out of 43, the present number of UNP MPs when 28 MPs sit as an independent group in Parliament. The TNA has 13 MPs and JVP seven totalling 20 MPs in Parliament. The UPFA has 161 MPs including those in the Muslim Congress and the UNP rebel group who crossed over to the Government benches during the 18th Amendment debate.