Ruwan Wijewardene elected UNP deputy leader
Set to replace Ranil as party leader next year
COLOMBO – Former MP and State Minister for Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene was elected Deputy Leader of the United National Party (UNP), by secret ballot at a meeting of the Party Working Committee on Monday (14)
According to Party sources, Wijewardena had received 28 votes, propelling him to the deputy leadership post, defeating fellow contender and former minister Ravi Karunanayake, who had received 10 votes. The deputy leader post was previously held by leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sajith Premadasa, who is also the current Leader of the Opposition.
Party sources said Wijewardene will take over as the party leader from former prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in January 2021.
Wijewardene was anointed as the future leader a few weeks ago.
UNP legal secretary, Nissanka Nanayakkara, was quoted as saying last week that the party will first fill the vacant deputy leader position and have that person step into the leader’s position on January 1, 2021.
Premadasa, was removed from the deputy leader post and his membership, along with 104 others, was suspended in July this year following the formation of the SJB to contest the August elections. The UNP suffered the biggest electoral defeat in its storied history at the elections, failing to win even a single seat electorally, and managing to gaining just the one seat on the National List. Since then the call for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down as leader has increased, compelling the new vote.
-ENCL