Sri Lanka opposition party Working Committee to meet, Leader denies knowledge of MPs going independent

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has decided to summon a Working Committee meeting of the party on Saturday (18) to finalize the party reforms.

UNP Spokesperson and parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatileka told a press conference today that the Working Committee would decide on a date to hold the party's convention to ratify the party reforms.
Meanwhile, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has said today that despite media reports that 25 party legislators were planning on sitting independently in parliament, no one had conveyed such a decision to him, the Speaker or the Chief Opposition Whip.
According to Wickremasinghe, the respective MPs, whose names have been mentioned in the media as those planning to sit independently, have denied such a move.
"The media had carried several reports that there are 25 UNP Members of Parliament who will be sitting as Independent Members. No one has conveyed any such intentions either to me, the Speaker or the Chief Opposition Whip. Many members whose names have been mentioned have denied any such intention,' Wickremasinghe was quoted in the media today.
He has added that if any such communication is made, the matter will be taken up at the Working Committee meeting.