Colombo, April 4 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s State Minister of National Policies, Dr Harsha De Silva, on Wednesday said the ruling United National Party would hold two days of intense discussions on April 7 and 8 with its party members and working committee in order to decide on some key changes within the party.
“Hopefully by Sunday (April 8) evening we will be able to make a formal announcement on the changes,” De Silva told newsin.asia.
Following the changes, De Silva said the UNP will emerge as a more dynamic, new, fresh, young and stronger party and will continue to fulfill the mandate given to them by the people at the 2015 parliamentary polls.
Speaking on the no confidence motion on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented to Parliament by the Joint Opposition, De Silva said the motion would be defeated by a majority votes and this was a great victory for the government.
He further called on all Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members who had spoken against the government and the Prime Minister to give up their portfolios and leave.
“They have not only spoken against the Prime Minister but they have betrayed the government too. They should have left a long time ago,” De Silva said.
He further said that some SLFP MPs would be leaving the government but this would not affect the majority enjoyed by the government in Parliament.
“Even with their exit, we will have enough numbers. We have nothing to worry about. The main thing is we, as a government, have to get back to work,” De Silva said.
Certain MPs in the SLFP, which is a coalition partner in the present unity government, openly expressed their dissatisfaction and said they would vote against the Prime Minister when the vote on no confidence is take up on Wednesday night.
SLFP MP, Susil Premajayantha, who is the Science, Technology and Research Minister in the unity government criticized the UNP and said it would not be able to form its own government at any point.
Some of the other SLFP MPs who had been critical were Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister, S.B Dissanayake and Deputy Minister of Ports, Nishantha Mutuhettigama.
