3.9.2008
Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
UNP
Political Affairs Committee will meet on Wednesday(3rd Sep)
for a curial meeting on party reorganizing proposals.
According to the party sources members of the political
affairs committee have divided. Last week they discussed
the reorganizing proposals .
MPs Johnston Fernando, Thalatha Athukorala, Laxman Senaviratne
and Dr.Jayalath Jayawardana openly spoke on proposals and
criticized the party leadership.
At the meeting Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickramasinghe adjourned
the meeting for two weeks .The committee will meet on mid
of this month, the internal sources said.
Media learns the proposals are still under observation of
the senior party members. Meanwhile majority members of
the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya [JSS] –UNP’s main
trade union have criticized its Chairman Johnston Fernando
who regular criticized the party leadership.
"He must resign from the Chairmanship of the JSS if
he needs to criticized the leadership, they charged.
Local political sources said around 12 UNP parliamentarians
plan to join with the ruling party. Discussions are underway
between them and the ruling party said senior Minister and
SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena.
He added the crossover was delayed, as government had not
finalized positions the crossovers would receive once they
joined government.
"We are having talks with them on positions they will
receive once they cross over. That is the only delay"
the Minister said.
However UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake refused such
statement made by the General Secretary of the SLFP and
said UNPers never join with the UPFA.
Since 2004 around 49 UNP Parliamentarians extended support
to the government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and
hold senior Cabinet portfolios. Resultantly the Cabinet
of Ministers had to be enlarged to accommodate the new arrivals.
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