While noting that today’s meeting to decide on the UNP Leadership was critical to the party, MP Nalin Bandara said that the group supporting Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa will take drastic measures if the UNP Deputy Leader is not given the party leadership. “A majority of the UNP Parliamentary Group wants Sajith Premadasa to lead the party. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s name has also been mentioned. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya should have been given the opportunity in 2015. That was the most suitable time to give the leadership to him. We welcome the supervision and guidance of a mature politician like Karu Jayasuriya in taking the party forward. But the current situation demands a young and energetic leader like Sajith Premadasa who must be placed in leadership,” Bandara said, addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo yesterday.
“We are confident that we can get a majority of 113 members if we contest the General Election through a broad coalition under Sajith Premadasa’s leadership. However if the leadership issue is not resolved soon we have to seek an alternative path as we are too late even now,” he said.
“Sajith Premadasa cannot take over this alone. The support and dedication of everybody is needed to move forward successfully.”
Moreover, he added that even though President Gotabhaya Rajapakse has a vision to take the country to greater heights, people who are surrounding the president impede his work plans.
Furthermore, he said that SLPP manifesto pledge on providing financial aid and overseas treatment to Easter Sunday victims after two months of presidency is yet to be put into action. “I raise this issue for the kind attention of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith too. Communalism was a basic instinct that was stirred in society for political gains. The Easter Sunday attack was a major setback that cost us the election,” he added.
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