A tense situation arose today (08) during a meeting held at the Sirikotha with the United National Party’s trade unions. The meeting led by UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe was scheduled to be held at the main hall of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya headquarters but had to be abruptly halted.
According to sources, the meeting was called today to be held prior to the meeting of the UNP’s working committee. Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickramasinghe, President of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya Sirinal De Mel, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam was to take part in the meeting. The intention had been to discuss the party’s election campaign with its trade unions.
Sources said Wickramasinghe had addressed the meeting around 10.20 am and had been blocked by a group when attempting to leave the venue to attend the working committee meeting.
The group had accused the UNP leader of not listening to the woes of the trade unionists and had requested Wickramasinghe to provide them with an opportunity to voice the issues faced by them. However, in response Wickramasinghe had said it was not the moment to discuss such issues as a greater task is ahead for the party. He had assured the group that a meeting with them be called for on a later date.
But this had led to the group acting in a disorderly manner as they insisted their issues must be addressed immediately. A tense situation arose following this as Wickramasinghe was heckled by the group as he left the venue. The UNP now claims this was carried out by a breakaway group of the UNP to disrupt its election campaign organization.
