UNP faction to push for settlement of party leadership issue on Thursday

Tuesday, 14 January 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Harin Fernando yesterday said that the UNP Parliamentary Group (PG) will push for a vote to get a definite answer to the party’s leadership issue.

Fernando told the Daily FT that if a vote was not given at the PG, he and a group of others will have no other choice but to breakaway and form a new coalition to meet the upcoming General Election. “We have requested a democratic vote, we are a democratic party and that should start from within,” Fernando added.

However, the party aims to come to a decision which will see all its members unite under one banner, said Dr. Ashu Marasinghe responding to question by the press. “Everyone wants to find a collective way forward, we can’t predict what will or will not happen on Thursday,” Marasinghe said, downplaying the possibility of breakaway.

“The young parliamentarians of the party stand with Sajith Premadasa and the mandate he got at the elections. Premadasa doesn’t want to the party to fragment, he wants everyone one to work towards the betterment of the people, but our party seniors need to take the right decision regarding it,” Hettiarachchi added.

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