Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will continue as the leader of the United National Party (UNP), the party announced today.
The announcement came after the UNP implemented reforms following the party's defeat in the February 10 local election. Wickremesinghe came under intense pressure to resign as the party leader and also as the prime minister.
"There was no other name to challenge the Prime Minister," Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, the new general secretary who is also the minister of education, told reporters.
Faced with pressure, Wickremesinghe set up a new party structure with a new politbureau being entrusted with the party management.
Wickremesinghe has been the UNP leader since 1994. During his leadership, the party faced many electoral losses including two presidential elections in 1999 and 2005 when Wickremesinghe was the party candidate. He survived several party revolts to oust him from the leadership.
Early this month, he faced a vote of no confidence against him as the prime minister which he easily defeated.
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