Petition against UNP party leadership withdrawn

The petition filed against Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and the UNP Working Committee saying that the term of leadership has been extended by six years has been withdrawn.

United National Party Southern Provincial Councillor Maithree Gunaratne had filed the related petition in the Mount Lavinia District Court. Accordingly the Court issued an enjoining order restraining the party from acting on the constitutional amendment, which states that elections for the party leadership should be held every six years.
When the petition was taken up in the District court today, President’s Counsel Mohammed Ikram appearing on behalf of Mr. Wickremasinghe informed that although the related proposal had been adopted by the Working Committee, it was due to be presented at the next Party Convention for approval.
Accordingly, the United National Party has not yet constitutionally approved the leadership extension proposal. Maithri Gunaratne said that he was withdrawing his petition as the Party has decided to put forward the proposal at the next party convention for adoption. As such the Mount Lavinia District Court annulled the enjoining order imposed on Ranil Wickremasinghe and the Working Committee and also cancelled the hearing on the petition.