UNP in crisis over SB replacement

The United National Party is in a crisis over moves by the leadership to appoint Kandy District Lakshman Kiriella as Nuwara-Eliya District leader in the event of party strongman S.B. Dissanayake losing his seat in Parliament.

The Executive Committee of the party has decided to appoint Lakshman Kiriella as the UNP Chief organiser for Nuwara-eliya, although steps were taken to hide this fact from the media.

Seniors in the party has objected to the new appointment at a time Veteran politician from Nuwara-eliya Renuka Hearth had staked claimed for Parliament membership and also when there strong view within the party in favour of Tamara Dissanayake filling the vacancy in Parliament of her jailed husband.

Some MPs view the new appointment as a slight inflicted on Dissanayake. Meanwhile the UNP Ex-co decided yesterday on a media black out of news pertaining to the appointment of Lakshman Kiriella as the new organiser for Nuwara-eliya.