UNP for new body to regulate private universities

By Yohan Perera and
Darshana Sanjeewa
A future United National Party (UNP) government will set up a special institution similar to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to regulate the private universities, UNP parliamentarian Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said yesterday.  He told a news briefing that all private universities which are currently functioning under the BOI Act would be brought under this new institution and that new university would have be established would have to be registered under this institution.  Mr. Kariyawasam said a future UNP government would present a Bill in Parliament to give effect to these new procedures.  
Meanwhile Mr. Kariyawasam said the UNP would create new party posts if that was essential for the betterment of the party.  He said this in response to a question asked by journalists whether the Deputy General Secretary’s post held by him is in keeping with the party’s constitution.  “The Deputy General Secretary’s post was something which existed before and General Secretary Tissa Atttanayake had also held this post earlier,” Mr. Kariyawasam said adding that appointments were made with the approval of party members and not outsiders.  
Responding to another question whether the absence of Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa at the swearing- in of UNP members in the Uva Provincial Council was an indication of divisions within the party, he said Mr. Premadasa was very much involved in designing strategies for future elections.  Mr. Kariyawasam said the situation is same with MP Mangala Samaraweera as he too was very much involved in party’s affairs. He denied reports which said Mr. Samaraweera had been sacked from his post as his head of the UNP publicity unit.  Mr. Kariyawasam assured that party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would abolish the Executive Presidency if elected to office.