Wickremesinghe, Premadasa hold discussion to give new life to UNP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 2010, 14:24 GMT]
Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) held one to one talks Tuesday evening with Sajith Premadasa, UNP parliamentarian, to solve constitutional reforms of the party and to give new life to the party in the coming elections. They were later joined by another UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake. The talks are likely to continue Wednesday, party sources said.
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Pandemonium in parliament over Fonseka punishment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 10:38 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in the Sri Lanka ‘s Parliament when it resumed its sittings Tuesday afternoon when the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) demanded a full debate on the verdict of the first Court Martial against the former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Sarath Fonseka.
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UNP MP attacked by Premadasa supporters – state media

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2010, 10:37 GMT]
Two special police units have been dispatched to apprehend the culprits who attacked UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake and a group travelling with him in Beliatte early this week. According to the state owned Dinamina Sinhala daily newspaper, the attack against Ravi Karunanayake and members of the party were initiated by a group close to UNP Hambantota district MP Sajith Premadasa, who is seen as a primary contender for the party’s leadership position against Ranil Wickremesinghe.
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Rajapakse, Wickremesinghe meet, discuss proposed constitutional reforms

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 August 2010, 18:04 GMT]
Talks between Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) resumed Tuesday morning unexpectedly. Both met at the Presidential Secretariat and discussed about the proposed constitutional reforms, informed sources said.
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Talks between Rajapakse and Wickremesinghe to be abandoned

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 2010, 12:55 GMT]
The future of talks between the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) led by Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe is bleak, according to Jayawickrema Perera, a senior UNP parliamentarian and the Chairman of UNP. Commenting on the cross over of opposition parliamentarians Praba Ganeasan and Digambaram he said that further talks between the two leaders are to be abandoned.
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SLFP splinter group to join UNP

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2010, 18:18 GMT]
The splinter group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by Mangala Samaraweera has decided to join the main opposition United National Party (UNP) on August 6. Mangala Samaraweera will obtain UNP membership card along with his supporters from UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe.
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UNP to call for implementation of Right to Information Act

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2010, 18:13 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to table a motion calling for the implementation of the Right to Information Act when parliament meets Tuesday August 3 afternoon, according to UNP spokesman parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatileka told a press conference in Colombo Monday afternoon.
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Peiris, Wickramasinghe speak on Weerawansa hunger strike in parliament

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2010, 05:24 GMT]
The hunger strike by Minister Wimal Weerawansa, leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and a splinter group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) came up for debate between the External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris and opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe Thursday in parliament during the committee stage debate of the 2010 budget.
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JVP leader fails to present a specific political solution for ethnic issue, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 June 2010, 16:23 GMT]
Somawanse Amarasinghe, leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and parliamentarian, was unable to deliver an unambiguous answer to questions raised by media persons who wanted to know the position of his party in finding a political solution for the ethnic issue, in a press meet held in Jaffna town Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, Somawanse Amarasinghe who had come to Jaffna Tuesday evening after a three-day visit to Vanni said that his group was subjected to harassment by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who did not permit them to visit the resettled Vanni residents in some parts of Vanni.
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UNP, DNA appeal to Rajapakse to release Fonseka immediately

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:46 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse, head of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, to release General (retired) Sarath Fonseka from military custody immediately. Fifty parliamentarians from the UNP and DNA including the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the appeal.
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Ranil returns home after India visit

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 03:50 GMT]
Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader in the parliament and the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), returned home Thursday evening after a four-day visit to India. He had held talks with several Indian leaders including External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna in New Delhi Wednesday.
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UNP leader to be elected by secret ballot

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 16:55 GMT]
The leader of the main opposition United National Party is be elected by secret ballot, according to a unanimous decision taken by the party’s working committee held last week. All office bearers will be elected and not on selection, party sources said.
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EU demands release of Fonseka, Colombo told

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 12:40 GMT]
Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the opposition and the United National Party (UNP) Thursday informed Sri Lanka' parliament that the European Commission has demanded the release of Sarath Fonseka from detention as a condition for granting GSP+ preferential trade status, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Meanwhile, Fonseka has told AFP that he would "expose" any war crimes committed during the end of the country's civil war last year and said he would go "out of his way" to assist with a probe, AFP reported.
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Sajith Premadasa expected to take over UNP leadership

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2010, 15:54 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is in the process of electing a new leadership to take the party forward from the present plight after facing defeats in every election held in the island since the UNP government was dismissed by the then SL president Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004. 42-year-old Sajith Premadasa, the son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa, is expected to take over the leadership of the UNP, political sources said quoting Gayantha Karunatilake, Galle district UNP parliamentarian.
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Rajapakse invites Wickremesinghe for talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 03:45 GMT]
President Mahinda Rajapakse and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Monday morning held a one-to-one discussion at Temple Trees. The talks between them centered on several issues related to the inaugural event of the first session of the seventh parliament. The new parliament is scheduled to meet on April 22 to elect a Speaker. One of the issues discussed by the two leaders is the nomination of Chamal Rajapakse, eldest brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, for the post of Speaker without contest, media sources claimed.
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Wickramasinghe to remain as leader of UNP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 April 2010, 16:21 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said Saturday that it suffered setback in the general election as voters had lost confidence on the electoral and present political system and not due to lack of faith in its leadership. Ranil Wickrmasinghe said he would continue to remain as the leader of the party, responding to critics who have called for restructuring of the party following the defeat in the general elections held Thursday.
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“All military camps in Jaffna peninsula will be scrapped if UNP wins” – Ranil

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 March 2010, 16:25 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of United National Party (UNP), who arrived in Jaffna accompanied by his wife said that all the military camps in Jaffna peninsula will be scrapped except Palaali Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp, in the UNP election campaign meeting held in Jaffna Veerasingham Hall Friday. “High Security Zones are no longer necessary in the peninsula and the people evacuated from these places will be immediately resettled in their own properties if UNP becomes the ruling party in the general election,” he further said.
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Election campaign gains momentum in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 16:28 GMT]
Election campaign activities by contesting political parties and independent groups have gained momentum in Jaffna peninsula and leaders of political parties including President Mahinda Rajapakse of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), R. Sampanthan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ranil Wickremasinghe of United National Party (UNP) and Somaratne Amarasinghe of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are expected to come to the peninsula to engage in electioneering, sources in Jaffna said.
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JVP will oppose any power devolution to North, East provinces

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 March 2010, 09:28 GMT]
The Sinhala Marxist party Jantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) former parliamentarian, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that JVP will oppose if a new political constitution devolving powers to the Northern and Eastern provinces is to be created, in a press briefing held in Colombo Tuesday. “Minister G. L. Peiris recently said that the government intends implementing its newly drafted political constitution following the parliamentary elections and I call upon the government to make public this new political constitution,” Anura Kumar Dissanayake said adding that JVP will never permit the country to be divided.
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Wickramasinghe to contest under UNP led UNF, Fonseka under JVP led DNA

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 February 2010, 15:06 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Sunday night decided to contest the forthcoming general election set for April 8 under its Elephant symbol, rejecting the last minute appeal by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to contest under the Democratic National Alliance (DNA). JVP led DNA is contesting under the symbol Champion Trophy.
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