by

Shamindra Ferdinando

Newly elected Opposition leader of the Uva Provincial Council Harin Fernando on Saturday said that Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa should be named as the UNP’s prime ministerial candidate immediately.

Former MP Fernando emphasized that the success of the UNP’s presidential election campaign would primarily depend on Premadasa, who could play a role similar to that of the late Ranasinghe Premadasa, the late Gamini Dissanayake or the late Lalith Athulathmudali in the 1980s in support of JRJ.

The UNP’s rising star was addressing a meeting of the Kolonnawa Bala Mandalaya.

The local leadership of the UNP headed by Western Provincial Councillor, S. M. Marrikar invited Fernando to address the gathering.

The UNPer said that he would request UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to name Premadasa as their prime ministerial candidate. Wickremesinghe is expected to return from the UK over the weekend. Fernando assured a cheering crowd that he would take it up with Wickremesinghe.

Recently, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, in an exclusive interview with The Island declared that Wickremesinghe would be the UNP’s presidential candidate. Both presidential and parliamentary polls are expected early 2016 unless President Rajapaksa decided otherwise.

Fernando stressed that whatever their opinion, Wickremesinghe was the only one who could win the next presidential election. Fernando urged the party to unite under Wickremesinghe’s leadership, while stressing that the leader needed the services of Premadasa to accomplish the task.

Well informed sources told The Island that there was a sustained effort to convince Wickremesinghe of the urgent need to name Premadasa as the UNP’s prime ministerial candidate.

Courtesy:The Island