Speaker to appoint nominee to Parliamentary Council if UNP fails

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 September 2010, 05:00 GMT]
The Speaker of Sri Lanka Parliament will be entrusted with the powers to appoint the relevant representative to the parliamentary council if the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe fails to appoint a member within next week. Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday nominated Tamil national Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M. A Sumanthiran as his nominee to the Parliamentary Council but the TNA MP rejected the nomination. Since then Ranil Wickremasinghe has not nominated a new person, SL parliament sources said.
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TNA rejects Wickremesinghe’s offer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2010, 14:44 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday refused to give consent to the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint TNA parliamentarian, M. N. Sumanthiran as his nominee to the Parliamentary Council constituted under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. TNA media spokesman and Jaffna district parliamentarian said Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted the party’s consent to appoint Sumanthiran. TNA has informed Ranil Wickremasinghe that it has opposed the 18th amendment and it will boycott the Parliamentary Council.
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UNP crisis deepens, dissidents likely to sit in parliament as independent group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2010, 17:42 GMT]
Twenty five parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday issued ultimatum to their leader Ranil Wickremasinghe till September 22 to address the leadership crisis soon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, said to be the leader of the dissident 25 MPs has told electronic and print media that they would inform the Speaker of parliament of their intention to consider them as an independent group when parliament meets on September 22.
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UNP crisis reaches climax, Wickremasighe to make statement

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2010, 14:37 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is expected to make a statement as his leadership is under challenge from his loyalists in the party even after defection. Political circles speculate he may relinquish his leadership in the party to give way for another leader amid reports carried in electronic and print media quoting his main rival Sajith Premadasa that he is ready to take over the leadership of the party from Wickremasinghe.
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UNP to boycott debate on 18th amendment Wednesday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 September 2010, 06:36 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday announced in Sri Lanka parliament that his party would not attend the debate on the 18th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka when it is taken up for debate on Wednesday. UNP parliamentarians led by Ranil Wickremasinghe thereafter walked out.
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Ranil Wickremasinghe in India on official visit

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 September 2010, 09:02 GMT]
The leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday evening left for India on an official visit. He flew first to Chennai to meet Tamilnadu politicians soon after meeting the visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Ms Nirupama Rao in Colombo, sources in Colombo said.
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UNP to oppose constitutional amendment

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 September 2010, 11:25 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday decided to vote against the proposed constitutional reforms in parliament. After the party’s working committee held Wednesday morning its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe told a media briefing that his party has decided to oppose the removal of two year term executive presidency system and the modification of the Constitutional Council system into a five-member parliamentary advisory council.
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Mahinda Rajapaksa meets UNP delegation led by Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 06:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday met a three-member delegation of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) led by its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe at Temple Trees. The UNP delegation comprised of two UNP parliamentarians Tissa Attanayake, general secretary, Joseph Michael Perera and the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress party, Rauf Hakim, sources in Colombo said.
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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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Security measures to Sarath Fonseka in Jaffna withdrawn

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 January 2010, 03:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka government withdrew Sunday the customary security arrangements to Sarath Fonseka, the common opposition presidential candidate and the opposition political leaders who are presently in Jaffna to campaign for Sarath Fonseka, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander who was expected to receive Sarath Fonseka who had been the Chief of Sri Lanka Armed Forces did not turn up at Palaali airport while SLA high officials in Palaali military base kept themselves busy in their offices, the sources added. The Chief priest of Nagavikarai Buddhist temple in Jaffna was the only prominent personage present at the airport to receive Sarath Fonseka when he arrived with the opposition parliamentarians Saturday.
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Minister G. L. Pieris in Jaffna canvassing for Mahinda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 December 2009, 03:23 GMT]
G. L. Pieris, a cabinet minister in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and a former United National Party (UNP) prominent person, arrived in Jaffna Wednesday to campaign for Mahinda Rajapakse in the presidential election, sources in Jaffna said. G. L. Pieris who visited various places in Jaffna peninsula meeting people is expected spend some more days in Jaffna.
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Family rule or Democratic rule? – Ranil Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 December 2009, 10:22 GMT]
“The time has come for the people to decide whether they want the Rajapakse family rule to continue or democratic rule to be restored in Sri Lanka,” Leader of the opposition and United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremasinghe, who is in Jaffna canvassing support for Sarath Fonseka, the common candidate of the opposition parties in the presidential election, said Saturday speaking among the students of the private College of Education near the Buddhist temple in Jaffna.
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UNP, SLFP-M back Fonseka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 November 2009, 13:04 GMT]
The working committee of the main Sri Lankan opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday endorsed General (retd) Sarath Fonseka as their common presidential candidate. UNP is the main constituent of the newly formed United National Front (UNF). The peoples’ wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by rebel SLFP parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera, former Foreign Minister in the President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government also endorsed General Sarath Fonseka as their common presidential candidate.
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NLF leader Karunaratne to contest presidential election

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 November 2009, 18:20 GMT]
Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, leader of the New Left Front (NLF), Wednesday announced his candidature for the forthcoming Presidential election. He disclosed his decision at a media briefing held in Colombo. Meanwhile, General Sarath Fonseka, former Sri Lanka Army commander and the Chief of Defence Staff, said that he is to announce his future plans Thursday.
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Executive Presidential system inappropriate - Malwatte chapter chief incumbent

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 November 2009, 17:19 GMT]
Kandy Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake Most Ven. Siddhartha Sri Sumangala Thero said that the systems of Executive President, Provincial Council and present election system are not appropriate to Sri Lanka when the Leader of Opposition and United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremasinghe went to Malwatte along with other UNP leaders Saturday to get the blessings of the Chief Incumbent, sources in Colombo said.
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India invites Ranil Wickremasinghe for talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 November 2009, 10:55 GMT]
Sri Lankan opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe Sunday left for India on an invitation from the Indian government. Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe is expected to meet Indian National Security Adviser R.K. Narayanan, Foreign Minister and Indian Opposition BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani to discuss the current situation in the island, sources in Colombo said.
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Sarath Fonseka’s stand on relations with Tamils, Muslims should be made public – Mano Ganeshan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 18:32 GMT]
“The persons who try to bring in former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Sarath Fonseka as a prospective presidential candidate should first publicize his stand on his relations with the Tamils and Muslims of the country,” Mano Gnaeshan, Colombo district parliamentarian and the leader of Democratic Peoples’ Front (DPF) told media in Colombo after a discussion held with Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the opposition and United National Party Friday evening, sources in Colombo said.. “We will not write ‘blank cheques’ in favour of any major political party candidate in the Presidential election,” he said. “We do not have any personal hard feelings either towards President Mahinda Rajapakse or Sarath Fonseka; whatever difference of opinion that exists is purely political,” he further said.
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Emergency extended for another month, JVP walks out

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 September 2009, 05:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s parliament Thursday evening approved the motion to extend the State of Emergency for another year by a majority of eighty-seven votes. One hundred parliamentarians of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituent parties voted for the motion. Thirteen parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians were not present in the house during the debate, parliamentary sources said.
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