New committee to chart the UNP’s Gen. Election fortunes

• Akila says special committee appointed by UNP Leader will decide on General Election plan
• Calls on party members to unite and follow committee advice
• Claims if party moves forward together UNP can secure 113 seats 
• Calls on Government to clarify stance on MCC
• Says political victimisation is a growing concern

The United National Party yesterday said that a committee appointed by Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will decide how to face the upcoming General Election and urged all party members to unite to move forward.  “If everyone in the party speaks in one voice and if we go forward to the General Election together we can get the necessary 113 seats to form a government,” he claimed, pointing out that the people were more politically conscious and would vote against the Government if the UNP exposed their weaknesses. 

“We are a democratic party and we should debate differences of opinion. However, there is a place to debate such opinions and once discussed and agreed upon we should speak in one voice,” the General Secretary said. 

Kariyawasam pointed out Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had appointed a committee comprising a cross section of party members to look into the future of the UNP. “We should move forward based on the decisions taken by that committee,” he stressed.    UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam addressed the media yesterday at the Party Headquarters flanked by UNP Parliamentarians Prof. Ashu Marasinghe and Wijepala Hettiarchchi. 

Commenting on the Government’s actions, Kariyawasam criticised its approach to dealing with diplomatic relations.  

“We want to ask the Government whether they are going to sign the MCC agreement or whether they are prepared to take a step back in the relationships the country has established with United States and other key country,” he asserted. 

Kariyawasam stated that longstanding diplomatic relations Sri Lanka had with many states were today eroded due to actions of the Government. 

“The diplomatic trust Sri Lanka had is reducing, especially with the Swiss Embassy situation which the Government has mishandled and continues to do so,” he charged. 

He pointed out that as the matter had been taken up in Courts, the authorities should await the outcome of the case without commenting on the matter. 

Kariyawasam also raised concerns on allegations of political victimisation against UNP supporters in State institutions and said that the party had set up an information gathering centre at Sirikotha to compile data on such incidents.