Dissident Karu Jayasuriya appointed UNP deputy leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 December 2008, 16:21 GMT]
Karu Jayasuriya was appointed as the deputy leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) by the party executive committee that met Monday evening with Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the party in the chair. The appointment was made amid speculation in Colombo political circles that Mr. Karu Jayasuriya is likely to rejoin the UNP with some dissident MPs.

Mr.Karu Jayasuriya is currently the leader of seventeen dissident UNP parliamentarians who have been holding ministerial portfolios in the UPFA-government led by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Jayasuriya's group is named as UNP (D), political sources said.

John Amaratunge has been appointed senior assistant leader. Gamini Jayawickrema Perera has been appointed as the Chairman of the party, according to UNP sources.