Wickremesinghe to resign from UNP leadership after party's defeat in elections

Colombo: Sri Lanka's four-time former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday decided to resign from the United National Party (UNP) leadership after 26 years at the helm following the party's crushing defeat in the August 5 election.

The party general secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told reporters that Wickremesinghe, 70, has decided to step down.

Kariyawasam named himself and 3 others as possible contenders to the post.

Wickremesinghe has been leading the party since December 1994.

During his 26-year tenure, Wickremesinghe was blamed for repeated election losses.

His decision followed the crushing defeat of his party at Wednesday's parliamentary election won by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP).

The SLPP registered a landslide victory in the August 5 general election, securing a two-thirds majority in the 225-member Parliament.

The SLPP government has 150 members in the House and the combined Opposition strength is limited to 75. The UNP, the oldest party in the country, was reduced to fourth place nationally with less than 3 per cent of the vote.