Ranil says expelling party members was calculated, not easy

COLOMBO (News1st): United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has stood by the decision to expel 54 members, saying it was calculated and however, not easy. "The Working Committee met, and after careful consideration, we decided to expel 54 politicians," Wickremesinghe said during a party rally on Tuesday. He said disciplinary inquiries would be conduct into local authority members who are acting against the party, as part of efforts to safeguard the UNP. "If they have acted against the regulations, they will be removed," the UNP leader stressed. Wickremesinghe pointed out that he stood by the party when several members were expelled for bringing a motion to impeach the then party leader Ranasinghe Premadasa. Recalling the 1991 incident, the UNP leader recalled that Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali - two of his close friends, were also expelled, and formed a new party the next day. "If this party is not good enough for you, you can form a new party like Lalith Aluthlathmudali did and contest through that," he said to the current members acting against the party. The UNP leader added that he was nurtured in politics to stand by policies, instead of prioritizing friendships when making decisions. He recalled that when Premadasa was Prime Minister, he had said  he would retire if there were disagreements with the then President J.R. Jayawardene. "I will not be here forever. There is no need for me to be here either," Wickremesinghe remarked.