Wickremasinghe to brief Rajapakse on US visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 07:17 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), returned to Sri Lanka Sunday after a week's visit to United States of America (USA) at the latter's invitation, sources in Colombo said. During his stay in Washington he held discussions with Political Affairs Secretary, Nicholas Burns, Assistant Secretary of Central and South Asian Affairs of the US government, Richard Boucher, and former US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, regarding the current political and security situation in Sri Lanka.

Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has asked for a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse to brief him on the US view point on Sri Lankan issue, The meeting between Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe and Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse is expected to be held on Monday or Tuesday, reports from Colombo said.

Meanwhile, two representatives of the UNP are to attend for the first time All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) scheduled to be held Monday.

In the meantime, Ranil Wickremasinghe is to preside over a crucial working committee of the UNP to be held on Monday. Several important matters regarding party reforms and the functioning of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the UNP and SLFP are likely to discussed at this meeting, according to party sources.