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Rukman’s appointment as UNP chairman delayed

Moves to appoint Mr. Rukman Senanayake as UNP Chairman have been further delayed after Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya asked for more time this week to consult others over the decision.

Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mr. Jayasuriya conferred with Mr. Senanayake, MP for Kegalle on the mechanics of who would propose the name prior to last Tuesday's Working Committee meeting.

However, Mr. Jayasuriya wanted the matter further delayed on the grounds that more consultations needed to be made before making a decision.

Mr. Wickremesinghe had said that others had already been consulted on the matter and that the appointment could be made.

But Mr. Jayasuriya needed another week’s time for consultations before taking a final decision regarding the appointment and accordingly the decision has been further delayed.

The National Organiser of the party S.B.Dissanayake was overseas.

Mr. Senanayake was tipped to be named to replace Mr. Malik Samarawickrama who remains Chairman.

Meanwhile . Alick Aluvihare, M.H. Mohamed and Dharmadasa Banda were named as senior vice-chairman this week.

In a separate development Mr. Keheliya Rambukwella who crossed over to the Government was sacked from the party following an ex-parte inquiry after he failed to turn up for the inquiry though three to four dates had been given him.
However a decision on disciplinary action on Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe who also crossed over to the Government has been further delayed.

Meanwhile Mr. U.B.Wijekoon who was appointed to head a committee to inquire into the deletion of former Colombo Municipal Council member T. Sanghadasa’s name from the nomination list, has been replaced with Mr. Harindra Dunuwille.

The replacement was made after Mr. Sanghadasa had written to Mr. Wickremesinghe that Mr. Wijekoon was a close associate of Milinda Moragoda. The former MMC had pointed out that the first committee also included Mr. Moragoda’s friends.

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