The ‘Tree’ party leader has found himself on the horns of a dilemma, after finding that some of the party’s Diyawanna group members have been striking deals with the regime hierarchy on the sly, they say.

This ‘deal story’ had come out into the open when a decision-making body met the other day. A politico from the East, a onetime provincial political chief, had reportedly put his foot down saying the party should be a partner of the regime. There are two to three others who see eye to eye with him, they say.

However, the leader is said to be straddling the fence due to having strained relations with certain regime high-ups. Meanwhile, the regime high-ups too hesitate about turning on the green light for him as he is perceived to be at least distantly connected to some recent fiascoes.

The ‘Telephone’ party is said to have come under fire from several members at the meeting. 

Now that several Diyawanna members of the party have already made bold overtures, the day is not far away when ‘a few nuts from the Tree will fall right into Number Two’s lap’, a political observer quipped.