Sri Lanka major opposition party appoints a diciplinaty committee to probe charges against two members

Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) says that a disciplinary committee has been appointed to probe the charges against UNP Mathara district MP Buddhika Pathirana and Western Provincial Councillor Shiral Lakthilaka.

The diciplianry committee was appointed at the UNP working committee meeting held yesterday.

The disciplinary committee is headed by Thilak Marapana, a former UNP MP and a former Attorney General.

The disciplinary committee is to meet next week, party sources say.

The decisions to be taken in the disciplinary committee is to be reported to the party leader and the Working Committee.

Pathirana and Lakthilaka are accused of violating the articles 7 and 9 of the UNP constitution.

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They are real Maharajas

Sri Lanka Opposition Leader and the leader of the United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickramasinghe who is at risk of party grip accused yesteroday publicly that the media company Maharaja was slinging mud at him since he denied granting one of their demands.

The UNP leader said that the media company had asked for two national list slots for their representatives at the  general election held last year.

Two Maharaja journalists contested the election under UNP ticket. Susil Kindelpitiya lost in Colombo while Sri Ranga elected from Nuwaraeliya quickly to change sides and join the government.

The leader of the UNP said that he denied granting the request since UNP was a people's party. He emphasized that no one could buy it. Who knows what happens in closed doors?

They are real Maharajas. They say 'We Report; You Decide' while they decide what to report. Not only that, they are in an attempt to decide the happenings as well.

Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.
 ~Ben Hecht

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What a springboard is UNP now!

The ex-Mayor of Anuradhapura Municipal Council of Sri Lanka Kithsiri Lanka Caldera has decided to cross over to the opposition, political sources say.

He is to contest the upcoming election for the Anuradhapura Municipal Council under the opposition United National Party (UNP), the politician said to media.

He expressed plans to extend his political career to national level via UNP.

Caldera is a medical officer by profession.

Nowadays a politician crossing to ruling party is not a significant news. Is it same vice versa too? May be he is doing this since he has no opportunity through the ruling alliance to touch the national level.

He can touch the national level from UNP and later join the ruling alliance again with a new strength. What a springboard is UNP now!

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United National Party rebel Sajith in a do or die battle for the leadership

Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) sources say that the rebel group led by Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa is planning to hold a massive protest in front of Sirikotha, the party headquarters on August 17th when a crucial working committee meeting is scheduled.

The aim of the agitators is to topple the leader of the party Ranil Wickramasinghe in a revolutionary way against the party constitution.

Media reports said that the group was organizing to rally around 10,000 people and to surround the party headquarters to urge the party leader to resign.

Party sources say that by now all the efforts of the UNP seniors to resolve the crisis of the party amicably among the leaders have been unsuccessful.

Internal sources of the UNP say that the rebel group led by party Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa is not giving up the fight to topple the leader since UNP has great prospects of winning several crucial local government bodies like Colombo Municipal Council in the election scheduled for October.

"A person that leads the election can boast about the victory and Sajith's group is in a do or die battle to topple the leader before the local government election," a UNP senior said.

However, the situation developing in the UNP appears to be advantageous to the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). Minister Basil Rajapaksa seems leading the election campaign for Colombo Municipal Council.

He is to declare open a shopping center for the Colombo minor traders in Gunasinghepura of Colombo Pettah bazar today.

It comprises of 468 stalls. The shops have been distributed among the pavement hawkers, of whom the majority is lumpen elements previously supportive to the UNP, that were evicted for public convenience and city beautification.

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