Ten party leaders including Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara have boycotted the party leadership meeting of the ruling party chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (19).

The meeting was held at Temple Trees to discuss a number of current political issues.

The boycotters were from Jathika Nidahas Peramuna, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, Ape Jana Bala Party, Democratic Left Front, Communist Party of Sri Lanka, Jathika Congress, Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party.

Prior to the meeting, they met with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and asked for another date as the issues of their parties could not be discussed here. The Prime Minister has promised to give them another date.

It was learnt that they had decided not to attend the meeting as the PM had invited a number of non-party leaders to the meeting. 51 representatives from the SLPP had been invited to the meeting although the ruling alliance had only 14 party leaders.The main objective of the meeting was to discuss preparations for the ruling party's May Day rally.