(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The UNP Working Committee will meet at 10 am today at Sirikotha to ratify the proposed new office bearers of the party.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is likely to remain as the Party Leader while changes have been proposed to several top ranks of the party.
The UNP Politburo discussed extensively on the main office-bearers when it met for the second consecutive day yesterday.
The meeting headed by Prime Minister and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe commenced at 5 pm and lasted until about 7.30 pm at Temple Trees.
It has been proposed to appoint Minister Kabir Hashim as the new Party Chairman and Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam as the new General Secretary. Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake will continue as the Assistant Leader and Minister Sajith Premadasa as the Deputy Leader.
Minister Navin Dissanayake has been proposed as the National Organiser,State Minister Ruwan Wijewardene as the Deputy General Secretary, State Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva as the Treasurer and Deputy Minister Ajith P.Perera as the Trade Union Secretary.
The Politburo’s proposald will be presented to the UNP Working Committee meeting today. However, Politburo members Navin Dissanayake, Ruwan Wijewardene and Ajith P.Perera had raised concerns that the party needs comprehensive reforms than what is being proposed.
The Prime Minister had stated that if one third of the members of the Working Committee object to the proposed names, a vote will be held to elect those officer-bearers.
Meanwhile, the UNP backbenchers in a meeting with the Prime Minister at the Temple Trees yesterday morning urged to elect the main office bearers of the party through a ballot.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, they said the PM agreed to consider their demand.
Ravi Karunanayake and Sajith Premadasa are ex-officio members of the 12-member Politburo and UNP members Mangala Samaraweera, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Eran Wickremaratne, Harin Fernando, Nalin Bandara, Navin Dissanayake, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, J.C.Alawathuwala, Ruwan Wijewardane and Ajith Perera are other members in it.
The party reforms of the UNP are expected to be finalised by April 30.
