UNP factions reach consensus for reforms

Rashomi Silva

COLOMBO: A consensus emerged in the main Opposition United National Party (UNP) on party reforms Wednesday when its executive arm met to discuss proposals by its two rival factions.

Incoming General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the party executive committee that met on Wednesday ironed out their differences through negotiations and discussions and finally agreed on one set of party proposals on party reforms.

Attanayake whose appointment as the party General Secretary was earlier challenged by the faction led by deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya said three sets of proposals discussed at the meeting.

"Committee reports of John Amaratunga and Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and the proposals forwarded by National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake and another set of proposals forwarded by a group of professionals affiliated to the party were discussed extensively over past few days," he said.

"We were able to identify some common ground in the three sets of proposals and we worked out a common paper based on the proposals," he said.

The party witnessed inner tussle during past few months between the factions led by its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Deputy Leader Jayasuriya.

The Jayasuriya group insisted on speedy party reforms.

The meeting concluded with the party accepting the appointment of party heavyweight and the grandson of the UNP founder Rukman Senanayake as Chairman and Kandy district MP Tissa Attanayake as the General Secretary.