Wickremasinghe to meet Indian leaders next week in New Delhi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 January 2007, 11:51 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party, Ranil Wickremasinghe, is scheduled to visit India by the end of this week and to hold talks with Indian government leaders regarding the current political and security situation in Sri Lanka. Wickremasinghe is likely to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, leader of the main opposition Barathiya Janatha Party (BJP) during his stay in New Delhi, UNP sources said.

UNP parliamentarians Mr.Ravi Karunanayake, Mr.Sajith Premadasa and Mr.Lakshman Kiriella are expected to accompany Wickremanayake in his New Delhi visit, the sources said.

Wickremasinghe's sudden India visit comes as a group of dissident UNP parliamentarians led by its former deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya is to join the government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Mr Rajapakse is likely to reshuffle cabinet on January 29 accommodating dissident opposition parliamentarians, sources said.

Meanwhile, Wickremasinghe spent Friday and Saturday in Kandy capital of the central province seeking blessings of the Buddhist prelates of two Chapters Malwatte and Asgiriya.

He met Asgiriya Mahanayake Thera on Friday and Malwatte on Saturday.

Chronology: