A group of UNP working committee members is now exploring the possibility of presenting a “counter-proposal” to the party working Committee next week to appoint Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake as the Deputy Leader of the party.

This move will counter the proposal to appoint Sajith Premadasa as the Deputy Leader of the party. The matter will be taken up for discussion at the party Working Committee meeting on September 23. According to highly placed UNP sources, the proposal to appoint Premadasa as the Deputy Leader of the party will be presented by opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

To present a proposal to the Working Committee on this matter, the group backing Ravi Karunanayake requires the support of one third of the party Working Committee . It is now leant that they are holding under-the-radar discussions with Working Committee members to get their support to the proposal pertaining to Karunanayake’s appointment.

Karunanayake has openly criticized the proposal to appoint Premadasa as the Deputy Leader of the party stating that this is not a time to “promote” individuals.

The group supporting Karunanayake is led by Parliamentarian Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, a senior spokesman of the party told ‘Asian Mirror’ under the condition of anonymity. MP Rajapakse was not available to get a comment in this regard.

Meanwhile, UNP Matara District Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera too has expressed displeasure over the move to appoint Premadasa as the party’s deputy leader.

“It is a challenge for Mr. Sajith Premadasa, to prove his genuine loyalty and sincere commitment to upholding party unity and discipline; that is the expectation of every member of the United National Party,”  Samaraweera said issuing a statement on Friday.