Feb 09, Colombo: The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party, Ranil Wickremasinghe has decided to appoint four deputy leaders, according to a report by the state media.

According to internal party sources, the party leader will appoint four deputy leaders at the Working Committee meeting scheduled to be held next week.

Sajith Premadasa, Ravi Karunanayaka, Lakshman Kiriella and Kabir Hashim will be appointed as deputy leaders, the sources have said.

The Working Committee of the party met January 21 to fill the administrative posts in the party leadership but postponed the appointment of a deputy leader on a request of the party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe for more time.

Last year Sajith Premadasa has served as the deputy leader and before that Karu Jayasuriya and Premadasa served as co-deputy leaders.

According to a report by state-run television ITN, leading party members Karu Jayasuriya, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and Buddhika Pathirana who strived to make Sajith Premadasa the Party leader are being marginalized.

The report citing internal sources of the UNP said that party leadership plans to take strict disciplinary action against parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara in the next few days.