UNP willing to talk peace

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 1999, 11:23 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the opposition United National Party Presidential Candidate, has welcomed the statement by the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr V. Pirapaharan that he is prepared for talks to find a political solution.
Full story >>

UNP leader sues over 'defamation'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 1999, 18:05 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and its Presidential candidate, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, has sent a letter of demand to the Chairman of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., through his lawyers, warning of legal action against the Chairman for defaming him by publishing a press statement of President Chandrika Kumaratunge, unless the Chairman forthwith retracts the false allegation and apologizes to him.
Full story >>

"Miraculous escape" for UNP MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 1999, 17:34 GMT]
Mr.A.H.M.Aswer, Member of Parliament in the National list of the Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) said today that he escaped miraculously when a grenade was thrown at the propaganda meeting held at Eppawela, about 175 km. north of Colombo.
Full story >>

Grenade attack on UNP rally

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 1999, 17:26 GMT]
One person died and at least 42 others were injured in a grenade attack this evening at a UNP meeting held at Eppawela, in the north-western province sources said.
Full story >>

UNP pledges talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 1999, 14:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremasinghe said that were the UNP to win the Presidential elections next month, he would, without delay, commence talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who would temporarily administer the Tamil dominated North East province for 2 years, prior to elections being held there.
Full story >>

UNP expels rebel MPs

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 1999, 09:05 GMT]
The Central Working Committee of the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), has expelled the five rebel parliamentarians who joined the ruling Peoples' Alliance (PA) recently, UNP sources said today.
Full story >>

UNP: Ready to talk, but no guarantees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 October 1999, 04:08 GMT]
The Leader of the Opposition and the President of the United National Party, Ranil Wickremasinghe, in his reply to the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge avoided stating his position in regard to the guarantees she felt were necessary to find a bipartisan solution to the ethnic problem.
Full story >>

Government seeks opposition "guarantees" for peace

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 1999, 13:30 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge, in a letter to the leader of the main opposition United National Party, has sought "guarantees" which the President believes are prerequisites for a peace process to settle the island's conflict.
Full story >>

Muslim protesters jeer UNP leader

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 August 1999, 07:56 GMT]
Crowds of Muslim protesters jeered as the Sri Lanka's opposition leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe passed through Sammaanthurai, 48 kilometres south west of Batticaloa, this morning. The leader of the United National Party (UNP) was on his way to address a party rally in Kalumnai, organised by 'My Own' Mustapha, an influential businessman-politician who broke away from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) recently.
Full story >>

Photo journalists receive money from UNP leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 1999, 12:21 GMT]
The leader of the United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremasinghe gave hundred thousand rupees to Sri Lanka's photojournalists' Association today. This was given to help journalists whose equipment were damaged by pro-government thugs during the attack on a rally by the opposition on June 15 said UNP sources.
Full story >>

UNP to widen protest campaign

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 1999, 03:40 GMT]
Addressing a crowd of about 5000 at the end of a protest campaign yesterday, the Leader of United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremasinghe, announced that his party will take the protest campaign to every corner of the island.
Full story >>

UNP plans public opinion study

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 1999, 16:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition party, the UNP, said today that it will formulate a national plan for the millennium in consultation with a wide cross section of island's population and political parties. While addressing a press conference in Colombo to explain the national plan, the leader of the UNP, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe said that the views of the Liberation Tigers would also be obtained for preparing the national plan.
Full story >>

Election campaign brings new promises

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 1999, 19:02 GMT]
The present government was conducting the war in a proper manner unlike in the past UNP governments, said the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge when addressing her first propaganda meeting for the southern provincial council election scheduled to be held on June 10.
Full story >>

Four STF commandos killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 1999, 16:27 GMT]
Four Special Task Force Comandos (STF) were killed and nine wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked the STF camp at Kurukkalputhukulam in Poovarasankulam on the Vavuniya-Mannar road, about 30 km. west of Vavuniya at around 5 p.m. this evening.
Full story >>

War consumes much needed funds - President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 1999, 04:33 GMT]
The increasing cost of prosecuting the war has made it difficult to allocate funds towards the welfare of the workers of this country, said the President in the People Alliance's May day meeting held at the Colombo Municipality grounds.
Full story >>

UNP stages mass rally

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 February 1999, 12:14 GMT]
More than ten thousand protestors blocked traffic this afternoon at Hyde Park Corner in the heart of Colombo at a mass rally and sit in organised by Sri Lanka's main opposition party the UNP. Slogan chanting demonstrators burnt mock coffins marked "Death of Democracy" at the venue.
Full story >>

NLF chief candidate assaulted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 08:46 GMT]
The chief candidate of the New Left Front (NLF) which is contesting elections to Sri Lanka's Northwestern Provincial Council was seriously injured last night when they were severely assaulted by group PA members and supporters near Waariyapola in the Kurunagala district.
Full story >>

Grenade blast at Katunayake

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 November 1998, 00:05 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) trooper guarding the runway at Colombo's Katunayake International Airport accidentally fired a rocket-propelled grenade at around 9.00 a.m., shortly before the plane carrying the British Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett landed.
Full story >>

UNP releases SLA casualty figures

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 October 1998, 00:15 GMT]
(News Feature) The leader of the main Sri Lankan opposition party, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe said in parliament today that over 1900 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops had been killed and 2000 wounded when the Liberation Tigers overran the Kilinochchi SLA base complex last week. Mr. Wickremasinghe's sources were said to be from SLA HQ and Military Intelligence.
Full story >>

UNP leader sends warnings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Except the President , Mrs Chandrika Kumarathunge, and the Prime Minister, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake, all of the other government ministers are corrupt, said Mr. Anura Bandaranayake, UNP parliamentarian, brother of the President and son of the Prime Minister while speaking at the UNP's parliamentary committee meeting yesterday.
Full story >>