The Working Committee of the United National Party (UNP) has decided to appoint party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to the UNP’s National List seat in parliament. 

Chairman of the UNP Vajira Abeywardena stated that the Working Committee unanimously decided to appoint the former Prime Minister to the party’s sole National List MP seat.

He said that the Working Committee meetings were held with the permission of the Divisional Secretary in accordance with the quarantine laws.

The decision had been taken during the Working Committee meeting held at party headquarters – Sirikotha today (31), however no official date has been decided for this, according to UNP general secretary Palitha Range Bandara.

Speaking to media following the meeting, he said that the Working Committee also discussed the removal of local government members who had violated party discipline as per a court order and the re-appointment of new local government members. 

Wickremesinghe was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1977, and had been re-elected continuously until 2020. The 72-year-old had served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on three occasions.

After 43 years in parliament, he was defeated for the first time at the 2020 general election while the UNP failed to win a single seat in parliament. However, the party did manage to secure one National List seat.