Senior United National Party (UNP) member Joseph Michael Perera resigned today from the working committee in protest of appointing former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake as the Assistant Leader of the Party.
Speaking to Daily News Online, MP Perera said that he opposed to the appointment of Ravi Karunanayake as the Assistant Party Leader on behalf of the citizens of this country.
‘I was appointed to the working committee by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and as a representative of the committee I too suggested the Premier to appoint new office bearers to the working committee and I am in favor of the new appointments’, the MP said.
‘But when the working committee suggested to retain former Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s position as the Assistant Party Leader, I opposed amides the approval received by majority of the working committee’, the MP added.
Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s Assistant Party Leader post was threatened following the allegations made against for obtaining a lease amount of close to 8.7 million from Perpetual Treasuries Owner Arjun Aloysius, who is a main suspect of the Treasury Bond issue, for a fifth-floor super luxury condominium apartment at the Monarch residencies.
However, apart from Ravi Karunanayake being appointed as the Assistant Party Leader, Minister Kabir Hashim was appointed new Party Chairman, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam as the new General Secretary, Minister Sajith Premadasa as the Deputy Leader, Minister Navin Dissanayake as the National Organiser, State Minister Ruwan Wijewardene as the Deputy General Secretary, State Minister Harsha de Silva as the Treasurer and Deputy Minister Ajith P.Perera as the Trade Union Secretary.
The appointments were made at the UNP working committee meeting held with the initiation of UNP Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Temple Trees, last night.