Plans are afoot to bring former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as the leader of the United National Party replacing former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Jayasuriya currently heas the Movement for a Just Society -— an organisation formed by the late Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera.

Addressing a joint press conference with former MP Arjuna Ranatunga, UNP's former National Organiser Navin Dissanayake said Jayasuriya's name was among the several names that have been proposed for the party leadership. Dissanayake is also the son-in-law of former Speaker Jayasuriya.

However, Jayasuriya has not made his opinion public on accepting the UNP Leadership. On a previous occassio, Jayasuriya said he would only consider accepting the leadership of the UNP as a "unanimous choice".

Both Dissanayake and Ranatunga have declined to accept senior positions in the UNP under the current leadership as they are pushing for broader reforms.

It is learnt that both of them are pushing for a merger with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, led by Sajith Premadasa.