Thilanga appointed organiser for Mihintale :

UNP supporters, NCP councillors dismayed over Ranil's decision
 

by Sirisena Liyanage

UNP leader and Presidential Candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe is planning to appoint Thilanga Sumathipala, as the UNP Organiser for the Mihintale Electorate, by removing the present organiser R.B. Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law who is also the present Opposition Leader of the North Central Provincial Council, (NCP) according to UNP sources.

A large number of NCP Councillors are said to be disappointed over this latest move on the part of the UNP leader who has ignored dedicated senior District Organisers like Ranie Adhikarie, the sources revealed.

They are of the view that Thilanga Sumathipala is a total stranger to the Electorate which is venerated by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka as the pinnacle of Buddhist culture. A majority of the NCP senior Councillors denounced this move as an insult to them.

Meanwhile, Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a propaganda meeting held near the Thambutthegama Mahajana Pola stated if he was elected President he would offer a Provincial Governorship to A.M.S. Adhikari, a former cabinet Minister of the UNP.

Yet, according to UNP sources, A.M.S. Adhikari's wife and children and UNP supporters are not in favour of this offer which entails Adhikari's re-joining the United National Party. This position was confirmed when the media contacted A.M.S. Adhikari at his residence at Dutugemunu Street, Kohuwala recently.

Adhikari responding to a media query admitted that this offer was made to him through a few UNP stalwarts led by former UNP General Secretary Sirisena Cooray.

But he has not taken a decision yet. His wife Ranie Adhikari who is a sitting member of the North Central Provincial Council replied that she herself and her children are not in favour of this offer because her husband was removed from the Kalawewa seat without a reason.

She added that a similar offer was made to her husband by the UPFA Presidential Candidate Mahinda Rajapakse but her husband has not made a choice on this matter as yet.