Wijesekara was sacked from UNP Matara leadership

Former Fisheries minister Mahinda Wijesekara said the UNP has lost many elections due to inefficient leadership of Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Wickramasinghe in a letter to Wijesekara has removed the latter from the UNP Working Committee and the co-leadership of Matara district.

Nationalist policies

Wijesekara was accused by the leader of criticising the UNP and party leadership.

The controversial politician has resigned from the posts of Weligama organiser and acting organiser of Devinuwara.

Not myself alone but as a group we can consider supporting the government or even contesting elections as an alliance   Mahinda Wijesekara

He told BBC Sandeshaya that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has to distance himself from Sinhala nationalist parties and nationalist policies for him to consider support to the government.

“Not myself alone but as a group we can consider supporting the government or even contesting elections as an alliance,” he added.

But the President should move away from Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya to secure their support, he told bbcsinhala.com.

"Authoritarian" leader

Former ministers including UNP national organising secretary SB Dissanayake, GL Peiris, Bandula Gunewardhana and others may support President Rajapaksa if he agrees to find a solution to the national question in united Sri Lanka, according to Wijesekara.

He said many UNP leaders are disappointed with “authoritarian” way leader Wickramasinghe conducts its affairs.

Wijesekara called SB Dissanayake as “future UNP leader” addressing a rally in Colombo to mark Dissnayake’s release from prison.

Both of them left cabinet posts in the Peoples Alliance (PA) government led by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to join the UNP in August 2001.