27 August 2020 10:02 am
UNP General Secretary and former State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said that party sympathisers were requesting him to accept the party leadership and that he was prepared to do so and lead the party to victory in the future if they had confidence in him.
Addressing a gathering of his supporters in the Gampaha District who met him at his residence in Malwana, he said that the UNP had stood with victory and defeat alike and that the recent general election was not the first time that the party faced a debacle.
“The UNP suffered a debacle in 1970, but it scored a five-sixth majority in parliament at the landslide victory of 1977. Wrongs should be righted and the party led to victory in the future. Several personalities including former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya have been proposed for leadership.
The party working committee would take a decision in this regard. My request to the UNP sympathisers is to join hands forgetting differences, if any, and to strengthen the party with concerted effort," he said.
He further said that the present government had neglected all development activities and denied relief provided to the people by the previous government. He pointed out that the people were facing hardship due to the spiralling cost of living.
Several local politicians including the Leader of the Opposition in the Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha addressed the gathering. (W. D. M. Vithanage - Malwana)