"UNP needs to restructre only its leadership" - Maithri Gunaratne

COLOMBO (News 1st) - General Secretary of the United National Freedom Front, Maithri Gunaratne believes that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should leave the UNP leadership before the party plans any reforms.He expressed the following views at a media briefing held in Galle on Sunday (October 14). Maithri Gunaratne continued to say that all that is needed for the restructuring process of the UNP is for the leader of the party, Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down and hand over leadership to someone else. He said that when Wickremesinghe took over the party back in 1994 the party could easily poll about 46% of the voting population in the country, however, the most recent local government election shows that the party's grip on the populace has slipped to 26%. He added that, Ranil Wickremesinghe is fully aware of the current situation of the party and that he does not want to hold provincial council elections. Also expressing views on the current economic situation of the country, Maithri Gunaratne stated that the budget has to be defeated, in order to send the present unsuccessful government home. Gunaratna further added that the people cannot afford the manner in which oil prices increase and the manner in which prices of rice and vegetables increase. The General secretary continued to question as to how this government could provide relief to the people, how it's possible through this budget when already the country is drenched in a massive amount of debt.