Sept 08, Colombo: The internal crisis in Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) is likely to calm down with the anticipated party reforms. A committee formed to recommend party reforms is to meet tomorrow to finalize their report which will be forwarded to the party’s Working Committee for its approval, party sources say.

UNP Working Committee is to meet on September 11 and the report of the party reform committee is then expected to be taken up for discussion.

UNP sources say that the party will have new positions in accordance with the proposed reform. Party Chairman Rukman Senanayake will be appointed as Deputy Leader while Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, S.B. Dissanayake and Sajith Premadasa will be offered the posts of Vice Leaders. Joseph Michael Perera will be appointed as the new party chairman, sources say.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe reportedly has survived the revolt led by several party seniors to oust him from the leadership.

Move to oust the opposition leader gained momentum after the party’s loss at the recent provincial polls. The rebellious UNP MP group comprising Lakshman Seneviratne, Johnston Fernando, Jayalath Jayawardena, Thalatha Athukorale and Indika Bandara suggest that Wickremasinghe should hold a position similar to that of India’s Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi.