UNP seat in House to remain vacant till new leader elected

• With only one national list seat available for the party in Parliament, a majority of the UNP members feel it is the new leader who should represent the party in Parliament

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

The National list seat of the United National Party will remain vacant today when the new Parliament convenes for the first time, and this seat is likely to remain vacant till a new leader is appointed to the UNP in the coming weeks, a senior UNP source told Daily Mirror yesterday. 

• Presently, the UNP is embroiled in choosing a new leader after Wickremesinghe said he would resign soon after the provincial council polls or even before that, if the party unitedly elects a new leader

Presently, the party remains split on who should be appointed to represent the UNP in Parliament, after the party faced a humiliating defeat in the Aug.5 General Election, losing in all the districts.    With only one national list seat available for the party in Parliament, a majority of the UNP members feel it is the new leader who should represent the party in Parliament, while some other members have suggested the names of senior members including UNP leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe himself.    Presently, the UNP is embroiled in choosing a new leader after Wickremesinghe said he would resign soon after the provincial council polls or even before that, if the party unitedly elects a new leader.   The one condition Wickremesinghe has put forward to the UNP is, that the party must be united in their decision in electing a new leader, after which, the party will undertake major changes to bounce back and win the confidence of the people.   

“Right now the focus of the party is, the change in leadership. This should be finalised in the coming weeks. The seat in Parliament will remain vacant until the party comes to a consensus on who should go in. Right now, some members are saying the new leader should take it. 

Right now the focus of the party is, the change in leadership. This should be finalised in the coming weeks