COLOMBO, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) said Monday that the party would implement a series of reforms leading towards the further strengthening of its national standing.

    Party officials said that its parliamentary group which met here on Monday had adopted a set of party reforms one of which was to create a position of Executive Chairman.

    The UNP's deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya would be appointed to the position, UNP legislator Vajira Abeywardena said.

    Abeywardena said the party leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, would continue in both positions -- the party leadership and the post of the main opposition leader in parliament.

    Wickremesinghe who lost the presidential election held in November by a very small margin to the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse faced a difficult time since the election.

    A group of reformists called for his ouster and to be replaced by Jayasuriya.

    Wickremesinghe who led the UNP since December 1994 is accused of leading the party towards a string of electoral defeats.

    But his supporters cite his achievement as the country's prime minister between 2002 and 2004 -- the Norwegian backed peace process with the Tamil Tigers -- too great to be ignored.

    Among the other intra-party reforms are more powers conferred on the party's working committee, the UNP sources said. Enditem