A powerful faction within the UNP parliamentary group are to press the party leadership to restore political stability in the country by supporting the Government in Parliament in implementing constitutional reform. In what may be a breakthrough in the present political impasse, this group of influential UNPers are proposing conditional support to sustain the PA Government but minus any pressure for a share of Cabinet portfolios that had characterised previous UNP demands for a ‘national government’.

The group, comprising twenty UNP parliamentarians, led by business tycoon-cum-parliamentarian Milinda Moragoda and including some most senior and influential UNP members, have already drawn up their proposal and will shortly hand it over to UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. “We feel that the UNP Parliamentary group should support the People’s Alliance Government group in Parliament to restore political stability, and implement democratic reforms with the five independent commissions and the abolition of the Executive Presidency. But the UNP Parliamentary group should not hold Cabinet portfolios in the Government,” Mr. Moragoda told the ‘Sunday Observer’, speaking on behalf of the group.

The proposals prepared by this group are: to support the Government to abolish Executive Presidency, set up the five independent commissions including an Elections Commission and Police Commission and, within a suitable period of six months to one year after the proposals are implemented, to call for general elections.

These proposals are to be placed not only before the UNP leader but also before the UNP Political Affairs Committee. These proposals have been discussed in detail among this group and a consensus has been reached within it.

Mr. Lakshaman Yapa Abeywardhana, senior UNP parliamentarian of the Southern Province, told the ‘Sunday Observer’: “We have drawn up these proposals and discussed them among ourselves. It is not our objective to seek personal gain or Cabinet portfolios. We are against the proposal of a national government as a means of merely remaining in power or in Parliament. What we propose is to support the government without the UNP accepting any portfolio but to ensure that our proposals including the abolition of Executive Presidency etc., are implemented for the welfare of the people and for political stability which is a national priority. We are placing the nation before politics. We will oppose any move within the UNP to join the Government only to accept high positions of power.”