By Dinitha Rathnayake
No decision has been taken to relocate the United National Party (UNP) headquarters, known as Sirikotha, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara told The Morning, adding that this matter was discussed one and half years ago with UNP Leader President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“We held a discussion regarding the relocation of Sirikotha to the office of the Jathika Sewa Sangamaya and initiating a good investment in the Sirikotha premises, since it belongs to the UNP. We wanted to build a business at the premises, but with the current economic situation, I don’t think it’s a suitable idea. So there will be no relocation of Sirikotha.”
It was reported that a senior UNP official had proposed to party leader President Wickremesinghe that Sirikotha be shifted to a new location given that there seems to be some misfortune associated with the land on which the premises is currently located in Kotte. The official was reported to be of the belief that shifting to another location will help the party once again record electoral victories.
The official had further proposed to Wickremesinghe that the headquarters could be shifted to a two-acre land in the Rajagiriya area adjacent to the Central Bank Institute.
The President, however, had remained non-committal to the suggestion and had reportedly said that an investor could be asked to develop a multi-storey building on the land and that the UNP could request about two floors to house the party headquarters.
The late JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe claimed during a public rally years ago that the land Sirikotha is currently located had first belonged to a member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) until it was claimed by then-UNP Leader and President J.R. Jayewardene, who constructed the party headquarters at the location in the early 1980s.
Sirikotha will not be moved: Range Bandara
17 Oct 2022
Sirikotha will not be moved: Range Bandara
17 Oct 2022