W.K. Prasad Manju Courtesy Ceylon Today

Former Leader of the House, Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella said the name of former Prime Minister and UNP Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe which was proposed for the post of Opposition Leader, had been officially accepted by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya during the Party leaders meeting which was convened yesterday (21).

He said a letter submitted to this effect by UNP General Secretary, MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam was officially endorsed by Speaker Jayasuriya during the meeting yesterday.

Kiriella added that another letter that had been submitted to the Speaker, urging him to officially accept UNP MP Sajith Premadasa for the post of Opposition Leader had been dismissed by Speaker Jayasuriya. He asserted that the Speaker has the authority to accept a nomination to the post proposed by a General Secretary of a recognized political Party and not those proposed by other MPs.   

The Speaker’s office issuing a Media release yesterday noted that he received a letter submitted to Speaker Jayasuriya by Kariyawasam officially requesting him to appoint Wickremesinghe as the next Opposition Leader. The Speaker’s office also stated that a letter signed by 40 UNF MPs urging Speaker Jayasuriya, to appoint Premadasa as the next Opposition Leader had also been received.

On 20 November, Wickremesinghe made a special statement to the Media, announcing that he would resign from his post as Premier, and yesterday, he tendered his resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the UNP Media unit stated