UNP Leadership Council decides: No official talks with Maithree for now

Tuesday, 7 January 2014 00:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Council will hold off on discussions with rebel Councillor until he puts forward his official position on the new Council and the decisions taken at the Party Convention last month The UNP Leadership Council has decided to refrain from meeting with ex-party member and Southern Provincial Councillor Maithree Guneratne until he articulates a clear position on the party leadership, the new Council and the decisions made at the party convention on last month, sources in the Council said.

The decision was reached after Guneratne met with Leadership Council Member Lakshman Kiriella at his residence in Colombo on Sunday (5) and upon being asked, said he accepted the Party Leader and the Leadership Council and the decisions unanimously made at the convention, the sources said. UNP Chairman Kabir Hashim was also expected to attend the informal meeting with Guneratne at Kiriella’s residence but was absent. However Kiriella informed the Council that the following morning (6), Guneratne had informed him on the telephone that he was only ready to admit that he would work with the party going forward. The Leadership Council which was scheduled to decide on whether to meet with Guneratne, has therefore decided to allow the Provincial Councillor to adopt a position about the leadership reforms and the decisions reached by the UNP Convention in December last year. During their discussion about the issue, Council members opined that various individuals who had lost the party membership were appealing to be given nominations from the UNP and Guneratne was simply one of them and there was no need to give him special consideration, the sources said. “The majority view at the Council was that it was up to Guneratne to make his position clear and when he wanted to do so was also his concern,” the sources said. “Until such time, the Leadership Council has decided to refrain from holding an official discussion with Guneratne,” they said.