Rift between Ranil and Dayasiri widens

Widening the rift between the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and the party’s Kurunegala District parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera, the General Secretary of the UNP has handed over a report on the parliamentarian to the party leader on the leader’s request.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference that UNP Leader has requested from him a report on the statements made by MP Jayasekera, who is critical of the party leadership.

He said that the report has already been handed over to the party leader and the party’s disciplinary committee.

Following the media reports that Jayasekera is ready to join the government, the UNP leader has asked the party secretary to prepare a report on Jayasekera’s statements.

MP Jayasekera denied media reports of joining the government and said he has been critical of amendments to the party Constitution proposed by the leadership due to the negative impact it would have on the party’s future.

The UNP legislator told the media recently that a canard of his crossing over was being spread by the ‘Media Mafia’ of UNP and Wickremasinghe’s media unit. The MP has said that he was ready to face any disciplinary inquiry and he will pursue legal action depending on the response of his party.