UNP frontliner Milinda Moragoda is on a short overseas visit. He is expected to return early next week. Speculation is rife that an influential section of the party wants the Colombo District MP to take over the leadership.

Contrary to initial reports, the defeated UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe Tuesday dismissed an anticipated challenge to his leadership. This came in the backdrop of Rajitha Senaratne, MP calling for an immediate revamping of the party. The firebrand MP is believed to be supporting Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya for the post. His campaign is backed by S. B. Dissanayake, serving a two-year sentence for contempt of court. Senaratne has earned the wrath of Wickremesinghe loyalists.

Moragoda is believed to be backed by former Gen. Secretary Sirisena Cooray and several Wickremesinghe loyalists. A well informed UNP source said the leadership took advantage of the dispute among the MPs to reiterate Wickremesinghe's leadership. Wickremesinghe loyalists said that the leader decided to stay following a spate of requests.

Last Thursday's defeat triggered a crisis in the party with Chairman Malik Samarawickrema quitting the post on November 18, the day after the poll. Controversy surrounds the appointment of veteran politician M. H. Mohammed to fill the vacancy. A section of the party is of the view that the 84-year-old Mohammed would not be able to meet the challenge.

With local government elections just four months away the UNP is under heavy pressure to resolve the leadership crisis promptly. There were indications that the ruling coalition would try to engineer UNP crossovers at local level by holding out that carrot of UPFA nomination to defectors.

Wickremesinghe survived a leadership challenge in 2001 to lead the party to a remarkable victory over the PA in December 2001. (SF)