We have a young second tier leadership: RW

Colombo (News 1st): Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the Youth Front and the young activists of the party. The meeting was held at the UNP headquarters and Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the media before the meeting. Addressing the media UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said;

"There is no reason to become dysfunctional just because we experienced a drawback at the presidential election. At the next general election, our alliance and all parties that are for democracy will work to secure at least 113 seats in parliament. I have handed over the coordination of our activities in parliament to our presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa. Parliament will convene on the 3rd and we will hold discussions on how we are to function in the future. I have been given the power to appoint a committee to inquire into the future of our party. We have a young second-tier leadership in the party and we must move forward in this election by bringing them forward. The United National Party is not a party that falls back. In the 1956 election the representation we had in parliament reduced for a 2/3rds majority to just 8. Even J.R. Jayawardena lost his seat. What did he do? He did not just stand and do nothing, he did not shout, he did not blame anyone, he went to Sirikotha the next day. A group of about 8 people including J.R. Jayawardena who lost his seat, Premadasa who lost in Yatiyanthota, V.A. Sugathadasa who was in the Municipal Council, went and opened the Sirikotha office. All the people had left, some of the lights and fans weren't even switched off. So he switched off all the fans, they took the brooms that were there and swept the floor. Then they sat there and began working on that very same day. They stayed there the next day as well and within about 3 days everyone started coming back. That is how they began and before the end of the year, they secured victory within the Colombo Municipal Council. There is no debating amongst each other. Now we must spearhead a program to protect democracy and implement it through parliament."