Reforms to be effected shortly :
New party constitution in the offing
By Jaliya WIJEYEKDON
The United National Party which was formed by its founder leader D.S.
Senanayake with the support of all communities in 1946 has rendered an
invaluable service to the nation from its inception under a number of
leaders.
Sri
Lanka, then Ceylon obtained independence under the able leadership of
Right Honourable D.S. Senanayake from the British Empire and governed
this country introducing a new political culture and implementing a
number of development projects in order to uplift the socio economic
standards of the countrymen. With the untimely demise of D.S. his son,
Dudley took over the reigns and the leadership of the party and
continued to guide the nation performing the unfinished work of his
father fairly successfully.
However, in mid way though his second term Dudley’s health was not at
its best who also knew that Sir John was anxiously aspiring to be the
leader which resulted in Dudley stepping down from politics and the
leadership of the party, paving the way for Sir John to take over the
reins.
Sir John Kothalawela who was a military man was straightforward,
honest and a very rigid politician who never hesitated to call a spade a
spade. He was confronted with disagreements with some progressive forces
of the day including trade unionists and even Maha Sangha was not spared
by him in his verbal assaults over certain vital issues where everybody
was concerned.
The popularity of the United National Party faded away during the
latter part of Sir John’s tenure mainly due to his unpolitical attitude.
First debacle of UNP
United National Party was swept out of power at the subsequent
election held in 1956 reducing its strength in the parliament to a mere
8 members. It was the first ever defeat suffered by the UNP since its
formation in 1946 which had rendered a great service to the nation
irrespective of any differences.
It was the general belief of the entire membership that the defeat
suffered by the party was mainly due to the unrealistic and unacceptable
manner in which Sir John handled the affairs and the barrage of verbal
attacks launched by him on Maha Sangha which caused the downfall of the
UNP.
Sir
John Kothalawela realized his political folly and bade ‘good bye’ to
politics and lived in wilderness until he passed away on 2nd October
1980.SLFP headed by S.W.R.D. was in power for few years and after
assassination of SWRD, there were dramatic changes in SLFP.
Dudley Senanayake was re-invited by the UNP membership to take over
the party for which he obliged and bounced back to power twice in 1960
for short periods. Dudley Senanayake formed a stable government in 1965
with the help of minority communities and discharged a great service to
the nation giving priority to agricultural development process of the
country and establishing inter-communal harmony.
1970 General election
United National Party lost again in 1970 general election and Dudley
Senanayake passed away in 1973 while being a Member of the Opposition.
The mammoth crowd that thronged at the Independent square for Dudleys
funeral bear ample testimony for the affection and respect that he
commanded from his beloved countrymen irrespective of any differences.
After Dudley Senanayake’s death, the undisputed deputy leader of the
party J.R. Jayewardene took over the leadership and fully re-organised
the party with dramatic changes in all levels of its entire mechanism.
In 1977 general election J.R. Jayewardene received the highest ever
mandate in Sri Lankan election history marking a historic victory of
over five sixth majority in parliament. JRJ formed a very effective
Cabinet with his able lieutenants and allowed them to establish their
own political empires. He immediately brought constitutional changes and
introduced the Executive Presidency. He became the first Executive
President of the country.
He continued both his terms quite successfully. He was considered as
an epoch maker in the Sri Lankan political history as he introduced vast
changes in all spheres of the lives of countrymen with his farsighted
vision.
JRJ retires
J.R. Jayewardene stepped down from politics after completing his
second term and, Ranasinghe Premadasa took over the party who had been
preparing himself to achieve same working as the Prime Minister under
JR’s Presidency. Ranasinghe Premadasa was also successful in winning the
Presidential election contesting with Sirimavo Bandaranaike and became
the second Executive President of Sri Lanka in 1989.
He
too launched a number of people friendly development programs such as,
Janasaviya, Gam Udawa 1.5 million housing scheme, introduction of 200
garment factories, to name a few. The biggest blunder that Premadasa did
was that he virtually sidelined the two promising stalwarts in the
party, Lalith Athulathumdali and Gamini Dissanayake, later on who turned
against him with an impeachment motion with the support of the
opposition. However, he managed to overcome the impeachment motion and
sailed through the political turmoil in the party.
Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated on 1st of May 1993 by a suicide
bomber and D.B. Wijetunga, the then Prime Minister became the President
of Sri Lanka. There were a number of dramatic changes in the party and
national politics during the period of 1993 to 1994 and finally UNP who
ruled the country for 17 years was defeated by a single majority vote in
the house under the new leadership of Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumarathunga and at the subsequent Presidential election she
comprehensively defeated the UNP candidate and became the President of
Sri Lanka.
The gradual deterioration of United National Party commenced with the
impeachment motion which intensified with the subsequent Presidential
election in 1994.
Ranil takes over
Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the leadership of the United National
Party in 1994 and managed to form a government in 2001 with the able
assistance of a breakaway group of six other members including the then
General Secretary of SLFP S.B. Dissanayake.
But he was unable to consolidate and continue in power since
President Kumaranatunge was influenced and instigated by JVP and Mangala
Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriaarachchi to dissolve the government.
Ranil Wickremesinghe submitted an affidavit commanding the support of
131 members in the parliament but President Kumaranatunge used her
prerogative and dissolved the government.
UNP was defeated at the 2004 general election and since then the
public support to the party had been dwindling at every successive
election held so far. With every successive election defeat some of the
party members pointed the finger at leadership and wanted some changes
to be made in the party mechanism.
But with the humiliating defeat suffered by the party at the last
Presidential election and the subsequent general election, Ranil
Wickremesinghe’s leadership had been openly challenged by Sajith
Premadasa and he is prepared to guide the party provided he is elected
the leader by majority vote.
During
the last few months most of the UNP parliamentarians were virtually
divided into two groups, as Ranil’s group and Sajith’s group.
However, with the acceptance of reforms proposals by the executive
committee and the leadership the internal party differences seem to be
fading away and the positive signs have emerged among all the members at
the executive meeting held at UNP Headquarters Sirikotha last Wednesday
the 10th August 2010 chaired by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
All the front line members have agreed to discuss matters amicably
and consensually without jeopardising the membership at large. All the
UNP parliamentarians have agreed with one voice to oppose the
governments arbitrary actions on vital issues and to educate the general
public through protest campaigns.The proposed reforms submitted by
various quarters will be properly scrutinized and implemented after
ratifying by a national convention which will be held in due course.
Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa will discuss political
matters in detail and arrive at appropriate decisions soon. There were a
large number of seasoned and moderate minded senior members who were
really worried about some developments in the party but with the outcome
of last executive meeting they have had a sigh of relief and some hope
about the future.Some theoreticians, political analysts and some
politically motivated media personnel make different views and try to
paint a gloomy picture about the UNP, its leader and some of the front
line members of the party.
Some of the vociferous speakers of the party who constantly clamour
for reforms should realise that they should not fall prey to the traps
set up by opportunistic forces who try to destroy the grand old party
but to work in harmony with the leadership and sort out matters with
consultation, compromise and consensus.
A new party constitution will be drafted shortly with the proposals
and suggestions submitted by the interested parties which will be
ratified by a national convention and all stalwarts and the incumbent
leadership had agreed to implement same in the near future.
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