UNP parliamentary group to meet Monday to discuss President's invitation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 September 2006, 10:35 GMT]
The parliamentary group of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is scheduled to meet Monday evening to take a final decision on matters to be discussed with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse following the invitation sent by the latter last week to join his United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, political sources said in Colombo.

SL President Mahinda Rajapakse wrote to UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya on August 24 inviting the party to join his government.

Karu Jayasuriya in reply said the response to the invitation would be conveyed after consulting the parliamentary group in due course.

However, Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the opposition also responded by another letter on the same day to Mahinda Rajapakse that his party was always willing to make a contribution in a spirit of responsibility to the issues facing the country.

Ranil Wickremasinghe, who is on a two day visit to India is expected to return Sunday evening, sources said.