Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has requested the United National Party (UNP) to reach consensus over who should be appointed as Opposition Leader. Yesterday, a letter signed by 57 UNP parliamentarians had been submitted to the Speaker’s office requesting Sajith Premadasa to be appointed as Leader of Opposition, the Speaker's Office said in a statement today. The Speaker’s Office has forwarded a copy of this letter to the attention of UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam. Jayasuriya has urged the UNP to settle the difference of opinion through dialogue. He has further requested the party to officially inform him with regard to the party’s final decision so that he could officially announce the name of the Opposition Leader at the next parliamentary session. However, in a twitter message yesterday(27), the Speaker said he recognizes Leader of the National Front for Good Governance (NFGG) as Leader of the Opposition in line with established Parliamentary traditions. Last week, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had nominated Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe’s name for the position of Opposition Leader through a letter addressed to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Another letter signed by 40 UNP parliamentarians was submitted to the Speaker nominating Sajith Premadasa for the post of Opposition Leader.