- UNP and RW was kept in the dark: Wajira
- UNP considering Thalatha and Ronald Perera
The United National Party (UNP) yesterday red flagged an attempt by former minister Ravi Karunayaka to nominate himself under the New Democratic Front (NDF), for one of the two National List seats won by the NDF at the Parliamentary General Election last week, it is learnt.
UNP sources stated that the party has not taken a decision on who the party will nominate for the two national list vacancies which the NDF obtained.
UNP Chairperson Wajira Abeywardana speaking at a press conference held last evening said that the UNP had not decided on who to nominate for both vacancies. “Today, while former President and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was in a discussion with the other parties who joined the NDF alliance under the ‘Gas Cylinder' logo, we learnt that Ravi Karunanayake’s name had been nominated from the NDF with no prior notice being given to the UNP. However, as the UNP we were considering Thalatha Athukorala or Attorney Ronald Perera as nominees for the list. However, while that discussion was going on, this notification has been issued without prior notice. Therefore, we have decided that such action is in violation of the UNP’s constitution. So, we will meet tomorrow (19) to deduce on how to act on this breach. The UNP was kept in the dark about this action (NDF nomination).”
The NDF managed to secure a total of five seats in the Parliament including two National List seats in the election, as they obtained a total of 500,835 votes from across the island.
In the meantime, former Parliamentarian Anuradha Jayarathne, who obtained 20,749 preferential votes in the Kandy District, former MP Rohitha Abeygunawardana who secured 10,204 preferential votes in the Kalutara District and former MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake who received 19,359 preferential votes in the Badulla District are the only NDF Parliamentary candidates who have secured seats in the 10th Parliament.
United National Party (the main constituent party of the NDF) Chief Executive Officer Prasanna Shamal Senarath, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara and UNP Chairperson Wajira Abeywardana were unavailable for comment regarding any rumoured opposition to the nomination of Karunanayake.
The UNP has however not taken a decision on who the party will nominate for one of the two National List slots obtained by the UNP-led NDF. According to UNP Working Committee Member Dinouk Colombage, the UNP was to meet yesterday (18) evening and make a final decision on who it will nominate for the said post. Following this discussion, all alliance members of the NDF were to meet today (19) morning and make a final decision on the two members to be nominated for the two National List posts.
Meanwhile, it was reported that former President and current NDF and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed NDF members that Karunanayake’s name has been submitted to the EC for the National List MP seat received by the NDF in an arbitrary manner and without obtaining NDF member parties’ approval. He has further said that despite all NDF member parties being scheduled to meet today to take a decision on who to nominate for the two National List MP seats secured by the NDF, the party’s Secretary had worked in an arbitrary manner before the relevant decisions were reached. In addition, Wickremesinghe has noted that Karunanayake is a UNP member, and that it is therefore not possible to act without a collective decision being reached.