A group of United National Party MP’s who have openly voiced their support to Sajith Premadasa may sit out the launch ceremony of the new UNP led political alliance unless the proposed amendments to the constitutional draft of the new alliance are approved by the party’s executive committee.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Ajith P. Perera said they hold the firm view that, prior to the launch of the new UNP led political alliance, the UNP Working Committee should meet today (04) and pass the proposed amendments to the constitutional draft of the alliance by approving them at the Working Committee.
Perera said if the amendments are not approved today, their group sees no point in attending a ceremony to launch a new political alliance tomorrow. “Before a new political alliance is formed, a final consensus has to be reached on the Presidential candidate and the constitutional draft of the alliance,” he stressed.
“We are not against forming any new political alliance to contest the forthcoming Presidential Election. But we are opposed to certain contents in the constitutional draft of the alliance and we have proposed amendments to it,” Perera said.
According to sources, a heated debate had taken place at the UNP Working Committee meeting on Thursday (1) over the draft Constitution of the proposed DNF. While all members of the working committee had said they were agreeable to forming an alliance, a majority of the members have however opposed the contents of the draft Constitution of the DNF. The group had then requested another working committee meeting from the party leadership.
Perera said at the UNP working Committee held on August 01, nearly 20 UNP MPs
spoke against the contents in the alliance constitution and they categorically stated that they are against it. “Several UNP Parliamentarians such as Kabir Hashim, Sujeewa Senasinghe and I have already given our written submissions on the amendments to the constitutional draft.”
Perera said most of the party members are also of the view that the General Secretary post of the alliance should be given to the UNP and opposes it being handed to a party outsider. Currently, Minister of Health and Leader of the Democratic National Front is slated to be the General Secretary of the alliance.
“The proposed Leadership Council of the alliance is only represented by the Prime Minister. In addition to the Premier, there should be a representation of UNP members in the council” Perera said adding that the UNP group has also requested that the UNP gets a 50 per cent plus one share in the council. They have also opposed the decision to appoint an organizer from the alliance to each electorate.