The country will collapse again if the new administration deviates from Ranil Wickremesinghe's policies, warned UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena. He stated that if this happens, the experienced team led by former President Wickremesinghe will step in to rescue the people once more.

Speaking at an electoral meeting in Galle, Abeywardena argued that the recent presidential election defeat was not just a loss for Wickremesinghe but for the entire nation.

"The new government appears to be following the same path as former President Wickremesinghe. If they change course, the country will face another collapse. Based on their current direction, the risk is evident. However, Wickremesinghe and his experienced team will always be there for the people," he said.

"If the country collapses again, don’t blame us or come to our homes. Blame the other group. The problem is that they lead secretive lives, and there is no information about their whereabouts," he added.

A possible imminent rift within the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) is being reported. Accordingly, sources say the group led by MP Dullas Alahapperuma will split from the main SLPP and is set to function independently. 

It is also reported another SLPP faction will join hands with the United National Party (UNP) in the coming days. 

Meanwhile, it is also claimed the group led by Dullas Alahapperuma has decided to form a new political movement together with several political parties and groups. Political sources stated that the group led by Alahapperuma is currently in discussions with groups led by Wimal Weerawansa, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Patali Champika Ranawaka.

According to sources within the Dullas Alahapperuma group, this step has been taken to end nepotism and revolutionism to create a reformist political movement.

Meanwhile, sources said that many ministers who are with the government are preparing to join the UNP in the near future.

It is reported that MPs joining the government from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Sri Lanka Freedom Party, as well as several people who left the government and became independent MPs in the recent past, are now prepared to join the UNP.

It is stated that this group will include several people who are currently representing the Cabinet.

Minister of Regional Development Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said that a certain Minister threatened to resign from the Cabinet and also from the UNP if he was allowed to join the party.

Speaking to the media yesterday Fonseka said that he exposed the Minister because he was corrupt. He will continue to do so if he found that any other minister was corrupt as well, he added.

It is a well known fact that there is an ongoing acrimonious conflict between Fonseka and Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Although he threatened to leave the government, he did not leave and it is not possible to chase him away, Fonseka said.

Fonseka confirmed that he will join the UNP and will accept the Kelaniya Electorate Chief Organizer post. He added that the invitation to join the UNP had come in 2010 and that he had finally taken the decision after considering all aspects.

His party also took a decision to join the UNP, he added.

The Centre for Policy Alternatives today filed a Fundamental Rights Petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the appointment of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to Parliament through the UNP national list.

Through the petition, the CPA argues that the appointment violates Statute 99 (a) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka since Fonseka was not named in the UNP national list or a UNP district candidate list in the 2015 August General Election.

The appointment violates the fundamental rights of the petitioner and the people of Sri Lanka guaranteed under Statutes 10, 12 (1) and 14 (!) (3), the petitioner said.

The petitioner requests the Supreme Court to issue an order against the appointment of Fonseka. Further more, the petitioner requests an interim order restricting Fonseka's functioning as a MP until the determination of the petition.

UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim, Sarath Fonseka, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, General Secretary of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake, Chairman of the Elections Commission Mahinda Deshapriya and the Attorney General are among the eight respondents named in the petition.

Fonseka did contest the election in August 2015, but did not contest under the UNP ticket. He contested from the Colombo District from the Democratic Party, but failed to enter Parliament. He was appointed following a working agreement signed between the DP and the UNP.

Former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa should have opened a coordination office in Kurunegala instead of Colombo since the people of Kurunegala elected him to Parliament, Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said.

Speaking to the media at Sirikotha party headquarters, the Minister, who is also the UNP Media Spokesman, said that the former President has mislead the people of Kurunegala.

Former President Rajapaksa opened a new political and public coordination office recently in Battaramulla, amid speculations that he is planning to form a new political front.

The UNP is still to consider the possibility of a power sharing agreement with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party at local government level, Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera stated.

Speaking to Asian Mirror on Monday, Perera said that the UNP has still not discussed on such a move at local level. Furthermore, the party was still not aware of such a proposal coming from the SLFP, he added.

However, pointing out that the UNP and the SLFP has already formed such an agreement in the national level, Perera pointed out that an agreement on local government level is not impossible. "It might happen, it might not happen," he stated.

A spokesman of the SLFP told Asian Mirror on Sunday that the SLFP is considering the possibility of a power sharing agreement with the United National Party at the Local Government level.

"Irrespective of the outcome of the Local Government election, the two parties will join hands in running the administration of Local Government bodies," the spokesman also said.

The local government elections are expected to be held in March 2016.

Former Minister Rosy Senanayake filed an Election Petition with the Supreme Court, requesting the court to order a recount of Colombo District Preferential Votes at the August 17 General Election.

{module lolc}

Senanayake has named several respondents including the Elections Commissioner in her petition.

Senanayake came 12th in the UNP preferential list in Colombo District. Only 11 UNP candidates entered the Parliament.

The case was fixed to be resumed on November 30.

Minister of Science, Technology and Research Susil Premajayantha, who was also the former UPFA General Secretary, is expected join Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his official visit to Japan later this week.

Wickremesinghe will leave the island on October 3 for a five day visit. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera will also accompany the Prime Minister.

The inclusion of Premajayantha is interesting in the backdrop of his staunch support to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the August 17 General Election.

The Sri Lankan delegation is expected to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other government officials in Japan.

The United National Party Working Committee decided to back the retention of the Proportional Representations System for the forthcoming Local Government Elections when it met this evening.

UNP Media Spokesperson and Minister of Education Akila Virj Kariyawasam told media that the Working Committee came to this decision since it had been revealed that the delimitation of electoral boundaries was done in a biased manner. The current delimitation has been carried out in a favorable manner to the former government, he said.

The Working Committee of the UNP met this evening at the Sirikotha Party headquarters and discussed the current political status, the LG Elections and the recently published OISL report, political sources said.

The UNP Working Committee will meet this afternoon at the Sirikotha Party Headquarters in Pita Kotte.

The Working Committee is expected to discuss the recently released OISL report, political sources said.

Meanwhile, the UNP Parliamentary group is also scheduled to meet on Wednesday.