Chairman of United Lawyers' Association requests Ranil to step down as UNP leader

Colombo (News 1st): Attorney at law Upul Jayasuriya, Chairman of the United Lawyers' Association, convening a media briefing today (August 30) noted that there are more than 22 vacancies in the Central Working Committee of the UNP and all appointments are made by the leader of the party. He questioned; "Where is the democracy? Who are they trying to fool? If democracy is not practiced within the party, how can they establish democracy within a society?" He said the bitter truth is that if they are to save the party from crashing, Ranil Wickremesinghe ideally should have retired from the party. He added that if this does not happen, the UNP's defeat in the upcoming presidential election will be inevitable. Jayasuriya noted that Ranil Wickremesinghe should withdraw from his respective position in a dignified manner, and welcome the second-tier leadership of the party to come forward and decide on the next candidate. "A milk packet has an expiry date and one cannot use it after the date of expiry. One is disgusted to even touch the milk packet after it expires. On the other hand, there is some value to such expired products. Such expired products are valued by worms, cockroaches, and insects," said Attorney at Law Upul Jayasuriya. He requested the Premier not to let the UNP fall into such a desperate situation and to handover his leadership to the second-tier leaders of the party, and to step down in a dignified manner.