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UNP General Secretary, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has told the media that these five members were expelled as they had violated the interests of the party during the constitutional crisis in 2018.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Kumara Welgama says he was prepared to accept the presidential candidacy and contest if the party nominated him.

He told a news briefing that he had been in the SLFP for 38 years and had not left the party under any circumstances.

“I am confident that I would be able to cope with the state of affairs and lead the country to a better position,” Welgama said.

“People know my character. I have worked for the people, and I am a straightforward person. People have faith in me,” the MP further said.

He also noted the fact that the SLFP had been steadfast right throughout history and that it was essential to field a presidential candidate from the SLFP.

 “I raised the importance of fielding an SLFP candidate without losing its identity when I personally met with President Sirisena recently,” he added.

According to Welgama, he would support President Maithripala Sirisena if he would decide to contest the upcoming presidential candidate.

Commenting further on the matter, Premadasa said:

“I have not been informed of any conditions. But I must make my self clear. I am not someone who will demean the country’s honour, party's honour, or the front’s honour and also my own self-respect to benefit. There may have been individuals like that in the past but Sajith Premadasa is not a man of that calibre.”

“I will not do anything cheap after being subjected to terms and conditions. Therefore, Sajith Premadasa is not prepared to accept the candidacy subject to conditions. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

Sajith Premadasa is set to meet Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today (25) to express his views on the matter. Jayasuriya has been playing the role of mediator to bring both Wickremesinghe and Premadasa to a consensus.

If appointed as President, when will he step down?

Meanwhile according to some Pro-Rajapaksa social media sites, among the conditions is one that says “Sajith agreed to appoint Ranil as the executive Prime Minister after 6 months of being appointed”.

However, it has been revealed to theleader.lk that this news is completely false. While this had been discussed during a meeting between Sajith, Ranil and Malik. However, Sajith had retorted, “When you resign as Prime Minister, on that day I will resign from the Presidency and accept the Premiership”.

Ranil Wickremesinghe had not objected to this, sources said.

Deputy Leader of the United National Party (UNP), MInister Sajith Premadasa has requested former members of the UNP including former General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who has quit the party, to return to the party fold.

In a special statement, Premadasa said several members had left the party because of ideological differences and pointed out that such differences could be sorted out through discussions and were not reasons to part ways.

Premadasa made this appeal in the backdrop of pushing for the presidential candidacy of the UNP.

He requested all UNP members of the provincial councils and the local governments who quit the party at some point or the other to return to the UNP fold and requested former Secretary General Attanayake who left the party in the run-up to the 2015 presidential elections to join him.

The Attorney General on Monday (23) referred the matter of the leaked telephone recording for preliminary investigations.

Senadhipathi, who is receiving medical treatment in Singapore, released an audio clip of a telephone conversation last week that discussed the case filed by CIABOC against Avant-Garde Maritime Services.

In the recording, the female voice purportedle of Wickramasinghe’s can be heard saying “I know how to break the law and make the law.”

She also expressed regret over filing the Avant-Garde case while blaming the country’s disruptive politics as the reason behind the case.

So far Wickramasinghe has not denied the conversation between her and Senadhipathi.

Wickramasinghe has called on Sendhipathi to release the full recorded conversation alleging that the released audio clip has been distorted.

General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), MP Dayasiri Jayasekera says the party is looking at joining hands with leftist forces and contesting the presidential separately in the event talks with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) fail.

Jayasekera saId the SLFP’s presidential candidate would most probably be President Maithripala Sirisena with his candidacy being unanimously approved by the party’s Central Committee.

He noted that the SLFP believed the SLFP and SLPP could continue with the talks to form an alliance to face the United National Party (UNP) but the stumbling block was the SLPP sticking to its ‘Pohottuwa’ (flower bud) symbol instead of a common symbol.

“Political alliances or coalitions have been formed in the past after the constituent partners had agreed on the policy, programme and strategy and a common symbol. But sadly the SLPP is not ready to accept our programme and a symbol other than that of the betel leaf or Pohottuwa,” he said.

 He insisted that as long as the SLPP was not prepared to agree to a symbol acceptable to the SLFP, it was not possible for the SLFP to enter into an alliance with the SLPP.

“We must listen to our grassroots level SLFP organisers, voters, Pradeshiya Saba members. We cannot betray the trust placed on us by our voters. If we join the SLPP, we must do it with dignity and self-respect. We cannot do so simply because it has a bigger vote base. But what the SLPP must keep in mind is that no candidate will be able to win without the support of the SLFP. That is definite,” Jayasekera added.

As for statements made by MP Kumara Welgama that he was prepared to contest as the SLFP presidential candidate, Jayasekara said under no circumstance would Welgama be nominated as the SLFP candidate at the upcoming presidential election.

 “It is true that Mr. Welgama is back at the SLFP. That is after a long journey with the SLPP against the SLFP and becoming the SLPP district organiser of Badulla. Besides, I cannot understand how he opposes Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s candidacy while worshipping Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore, I assure you that Mr. Welgama will not be the SLFP presidential candidate. We still maintain that President Sirisena will most likely be the SLFP candidate,” the SLFP General Secretary said.

The Attorney General’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne has said the matter has been referred to the PSC for an inquirer to be appointed to conduct preliminary investigations in to the controversial telephone conversation.

The audio clip of a telephone conversation supposedly between Senadhipathi and former Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and incumbent Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe was recently released through social media.

Taking to his Facebook account, Senadhipathi, who is currently receiving medical treatment in Singapore, released an audio clip of the telephone conversation which discussed the case filed against the Avant-Garde Maritime Services.

The female voice in the recording, purportedly of Wickramasinghe, can be heard saying “I know how to make the law and break the law.”

She also expressed her regrets over filing the Avant-Garde case while blaming the country’s disruptive politics as the reason behind the case.

Wickramasinghe has so far not denied the phone conversation.

However in a Facebook post, she has called on the Avant-Garde chairman to release the unedited version of the conversation to the public, while also alleging that he has distorted it.

However, the agreement to nominate Premadasa as the UNP’s presidential candidate is based on several conditions.

The consensus was reached at a meeting held late last evening between Wickremesinghe and Premadasa camps.

Wickremesinghe has agreed to nominate Premadasa as presidential candidate subject to a written commitment from the latter to abolish executive presidency in six months after assuming office, appoint Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and agree to a power devolution package agreed at the parliamentary steering committee

The Prime Minister is also reportedly in agreement that candidacy could be offered to Premadasa but on condition that he (Wickremesinghe) remain the UNP Leader as well as Prime Minister.  

Meanwhile, a key member of Premadasa’s camp, Minister Harin Fernando following the crucial meeting has tweeted saying, “Game on! Positive outcome, New energy for a New Sri Lanka.”

Nevertheless, the official announcement is to be made after the UNP Working Committee meeting on Thursday (26).

The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee is to meet on Thursday (26) and necessary arrangements are being made to hold an election in the event it is required to decide on the party’s presidential candidate.

Party sources have told the media that the party headquarters, Sirikotha, would be prepared to hold a vote if the need arises.

It was also reported that the four-member committee is to reveal its recommendations that day to the Working Committee as per party tradition

Meanwhile, party leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe following a discussion with a team of senior party loyalists had decided last night to call for a meeting of the Working Committee on Thursday and conduct a secret ballot to select the presidential candidate.

Ministers Vajira Abeywardane, Lakshman Kiriella, Ravi Karunanayake, John Amaratunga and Daya Gamage had attended the meeting with Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees.

They have proposed that the Working Committee meet on Thursday and hold a secret ballot to choose the candidate.

The proposal to hold a secret ballot at the Working Committee to select the UNP’s presidential candidate was mooted by party Deputy Leader Minister Sajith Premadasa.

The High Commissioner has tweeted yesterday saying that she made a courtesy call on the Leader of the Opposition.

Meanwhile, Sinhala daily newspaper ‘Ada’ reported today (23) that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had told a group of Bhikkus that he has changed his mind regarding contesting in the upcoming elections.

He had told them he does not expect to be named as the candidate but instead thinks either Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe or Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa should be named as the party’s candidate. The Speaker had met with the Bhikkus following the meeting between the Prime Minister and Premadasa yesterday.

The Speaker had also said that he expects the issue regarding the party's candidate to be resolved soon.

Inside sources from the UNP say it is likely that the final decision will be announced in the next 72 hours.

When asked by Neth News, General Secretary of the UNP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had said the decision will be taken by the Working Committee of the party.

Speaking to Neth News, Deputy Leader of the Party Ravi Karunanayake also said the decision will be announced on Wednesday.