The recent resignation of the sibling of the Tree party leader from his Diyawanna seat had come as a bolt from the blue for many in political circles. This sibling, of course, had made his way to Diyawanna thanks to the national list quota reserved for the Tree party. 


In fact, it was the party’s chief secretarial one of Ali fame who had been eyeing this slot on the national list. However, there had been formidable objections from powerful sections in the party to nominating the secretarial one for this slot and the party leader finally nominated his sibling as a half way-house choice, they say.

The tug-o-war had had not ended following the nomination of the sibling. For party stalwarts from the East, the power base of the party, had continued insisting either the legal one of Kariya fame or the secretarial one of Ali fame from the East be sent to Diyawanna. 

So the Tree party leader in a bid to put off those breathing down his neck had asked his sibling to step down, they say.

Meanwhile, there is talk that another national list member of the party is about to resign. However, no matter who is appointed to fill the existing vacancy or the vacancy likely to fall vacant, the issue will continue to plague the Tree party leader, they say.