Fresh moves for reconciliation between United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the dissident group led by Sajith Premadasa got underway this week.
Senior UNP leaders and backers of Mr. Premadasa met at the Colombo residence of deputy leader, Karu Jayasuriya to work out the modalities. A party source said this was a prelude to a meeting between Mr. Wickremesinghe and Mr. Premadasa.
Former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera, who chaired the UNP Reforms Committee, confirmed that the meeting took place but declined to give details. The two sides, the Sunday Times learns, had discussed proposals to bring about a rapprochement.
One was to allow Mr. Wickremesinghe to continue as the leader with two deputies -- Mr. Jayasuriya and Mr. Premadasa.
Another proposal was to name Mr. Wickremesinghe as the senior leader of the party, Mr. Jayasuriya as interim leader and Mr. Premadasa as deputy leader.
A party source said talks would continue until a “mutually-agreeable formula” was worked out.
Among others present at the talks were UNP Chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, General Secretary Tissa Attananayake, Kabeer Hasheem, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Sajith Premadasa, Lakshman Seneviratne, Thalatha Athukorale and Ranjith madduma Bandara. |
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