UNP Deputy Leader and Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs, Sajith Premadasa should be the Party’s Presidential candidate, UNP chairman and Minister Kabir Hashim proposed at the party parliamentary group meeting chaired by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe at temple Trees yesterday.

Minister of Public Administration, Disaster Management and Rural Economic Affairs, Ranjith Madduma Bandara supported Hashim’s proposal. About 25 UNP MPs expressed their opinions in support of party chairman’s proposal. They did not mention the names of PM Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as potential presidential candidates, according to sources.

PM Wickremesinghe said he would convene the UNP Working Committee and the Parliamentary Group together and take a final decision on the party’s presidential candidate. He said he would consult party seniors including Speaker Jayasuriya, according to party sources.

Minister Ravi karunanayake who is critical of Premadasa was late for the meeting but he had not said anything against Hashim’s proposal, party sources said.

Expressing his views on the proposals, Minister Premadasa said that he was ready to shoulder any responsibility the party would entrust him with.