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UNP crisis nears deal as dissidents split
By Santhush Fernando
Rival factions within the UNP had moved closer to a compromise that allows party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to retain his position but with reduced powers.

The Sunday Times learns that talks between Mr. Wickremesinghe and a faction agitating for party reforms that sought to give Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya more powers to handle day-to-day affairs have led to a possible deal.

On Wednesday, Mr. Wickremesinghe met 'reformists' group leader Rukman Senanayake and held discussions on the crisis facing the party. The duo discussed two main proposals. The first proposal allows Mr. Wickremesinghe to remain as party leader while Mr. Jayasuriya would hold the offices of Deputy Leader and General Secretary. The second proposal also allows Mr. Wickremesinghe to remain as party leader but calls for the appointment of Deputy Leader Jayasuriya as executive chairman of the party.

At present, the chairmanship in the UNP is a figure-head position without any executive powers. The Sunday Times learns that the reformists were in favour of the first proposal but Mr. Wickremesinghe had pointed out that the party's general secretary needed to be physically present at the party headquarters most of the time and someone as senior as Mr. Jayasuriya would not be able to spend most of his time at the party office.

Among the other proposals that came up for discussion was one that called for the transformation of the party’s political affairs committee, an advisory body appointed by the party leader, into a political affairs council with powers to direct the party leadership.

Whether this new council is to supercede the working committee, the 50 member apex body appointed by the party leader will be decided at a UNP Parliamentary Group meeting tomorrow, party sources said.

The compromise between the Wickremesinghe faction and the reformists, however, has come under criticism from other dissidents. Kalutara District parliamentarian Sarath Ranawake said he and some other dissidents would stand by their earlier decision that called for the removal of Mr. Wickremesinghe and would have no more talks with the reformists who agreed to the compromise.

The hardliners have accused Rajitha Senaratne and Ravi Karunanayake of changing their original stand after a meeting with party leader Wickremesinghe in Bangkok a fortnight ago.

The Ranawaka faction which claims to have the backing of 10 parliamentarians has threatened to either join President Mahinda Rajapakse or form an independent group within the opposition.

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