National Elections-UNP will take vital decisions soon: Akila

The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee will soon take vital decisions with regard to the national elections that are due in 2019 and 2020, Party General Secretary and Minister, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said yesterday.

He said this at a ceremony held at the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya headquarters in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte to mark the 112th birth anniversary of former president J.R. Jayewardene.

“The UNP is keen to see that the next head of state is a nominee of the party,” the minister said and added that the joint opposition candidate for the next presidential election will not pose a challenge to the party no matter who he or she would be.

“It will not matter whether the presidential candidate selected by the JO is a Rajapaksa or somebody else,” the minister said.

He said the UNP would emerge victorious at the national elections as it is currently in office.

Paying a glowing tribute to former president Jayewardene, the minister said the late leader was a man who had a broad vision of the future. “The way Mr. Jayewardene handled a crisis and his patience is a great lesson for young politicians. He was a man who kept himself updated with the changing world,” he said.

(Source: Daily Mirror – By Yohan Perera)