Feeble leadership - main cause for UNP’s downfall -Rukman Senanayake

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

The United National Party which played a leading role in obtaining independence for Sri Lanka, had rendered an invaluable service to the nation from its inception under a number of leaders beginning with its founder leader D.S. Senanayake.

There had been many ups and downs in the history of the party. There have been occasions when the party had been swept out of power. However, it always managed to return to power at subsequent elections. Since 1994, however, the UNP had gradually deteriorated and the party suffered the worst ever defeat at the last Presidential election and subsequent general election. After the last general election, a few of the members who were elected to Parliament for the first time under the green banner, also left the party and joined the Government, weakening the United National party further. The UNP membership is utterly disappointed and demoralised over these latest developments and is in a quandary as to what their future may be as party loyalists.

The Sunday Observer conducted an exclusive interview with one of the stalwarts of the United National Party, Rukman Senanayake who is the grandson of founder leader D.S. Senanayake and is a respected Parliamentarian who represented Dedigama electorate, Polonnaruwa district and Kegalle district. He was a senior minister in Ranil Wickremesinghe's Cabinet from 2001-2004. He spoke on the present position of the United National Party and the future course of action it should adopt as the main Opposition party.

Q: The United National Party was known as a powerful political force which had ruled the country for over three decades since independence under a number of leaders on a number of occasions. But since 1994 its performance had been deplorable and successive election results reveal that it had lost its popularity and the image of the party had been reduced to a low level. What is the reason for this debacle?

A: Yes, the United National Party was the most formidable political force in the country from the time it was formed by D.S. Senanayake in 1946. People rallied round the party from all corners of the country and the three letters UNP, became a household term. However, with the passage of time, after some dramatic changes Sir John Kotelawala became the party leader and the popularity of the party diminished mainly owing to his stubborn and arrogant attitude though he was a clean straightforward and outspoken leader.

The UNP was reduced to eight seats in the Parliament with the election in 1956 and Sir John immediately stepped down from the leadership realising his political follies, paving the way for Dudley Senanayake to guide the party again. Dudley Senanayake reorgnised the party and bounced back to power just four years after the humiliating defeat in 1956.

Similarly, the UNP returned to power after every defeat, at the immediate next election upto 1977 from which point onwards it was a permanent UNP regime, driving the Opposition to political wilderness until 1994.

In 1993 our party suffered irreparable losses due to LTTE atrocities and finally the leadership of the party was thrust upon Ranil Wickremesinghe who was the Prime Minister after Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated and D.B. Wijetunga became President. As you said, it has been a poor performance by the party since then, mainly due to the unpragmatic, unpractical, shortsighted policies adopted by the leader in discharging duties and accomplishing the functions, and obligations of the leadership.

Q: However, Ranil Wickremesinghe won the 2001 election and formed a UNP government under his leadership.

A: It was not due to his personal charisma or leadership quality that he was successful. At that time all our area and provincial leaders worked hard with dedication and commitment. Also there was a breakaway group from the governing party headed by its then General Secretary S.B. Dissanayake and comprising a few other senior ministers who joined the UNP and supported its election campaign. Also, the grass roots level of the party was well intact then, which helped Wickremesinghe to form a government. Now the situation is totally different.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was not tactful enough to consolidate the power he received and continue with attractive measures being given to the people to keep the membership intact. He should have known that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had the prerogative to dissolve the government after one year.

Q: You were a senior minister in Ranil Wickremesinghe's Cabinet for two years. Why didn't you alert him about an unexpected dissolution of the government by the then President?

A: Not that we didn't air our views. We always tried to enlighten him over various issues. But he never listens to anybody on anything. He worked and still works only with a few of his loyalists who have no knowledge of practical politics. He thinks he knows everything and that is why he is known as 'Mr. All know' among the higher echelons of the party.

The biggest political blunder he committed during his premiership was the signing of the infamous Cease Fire Agreement with Velupillai Prabhakaran without consulting even his Cabinet colleagues. I was fully against it from the very beginning and I never took part in any of these activities since I fully well knew that it was not the correct solution for the problem. It only aggravated the problem and the LTTE movement was further strengthened.

Q: You were elected to Parliament with the highest number of votes from Kegalle district in 2001 and retained the seat at the subsequent election in 2004 where your party suffered defeat. Then, you willingly handed over your seat to another person and became actively involved in national level organisational work as the Assistant Leader of the party. Despite such dedication to the party, why weren't you given a National List slot after the last election?

A: Well, Ranil Wickremesinghe was not happy with me from the day I objected to the stand taken by him over the most vital issue of the day. He must have been waiting for an opportunity to sideline me since then and deprived me of my legitimate slot in the National List as the Assistant Leader of the party. Not only myself, there were many prominent members in the party who opposed the CFA and who had been badly victimised by this poor leadership.

There is a vast different in all aspects between Ranil Wickremesinghe and our previous leaders who guided the party to victory. Under Wickremesinghe's leadership the party has suffered successive humiliating defeats and he himself has proved that he is no longer a leader who could lead the party to victory.

Our party has been weakened and is now in political doldrums. So now the membership urges Wickremesinghe to honourably step down without jeopardising the membership further so that a new leader will take over the reins and guide the party to victory at a future election.

Q: Who do you think is the most suitable person in the party who should succeed Ranil Wickremesinghe?

A: Undoubtedly, it is Sajith Premadasa who has already laid the foundation to take over the leadership of the party. He has the political vision, the charisma, and leadership qualities and most of all the honest willingness to work for the down-trodden masses of the country while re-consolidating the factions which had disintegrated due to sheer ignorance of the present leadership.

Q: Do you think that Sajith Premadasa is experienced enough to lead the party to victory at a future election?

A: Well, he has been a Parliamentarian for quite sometime now and had gathered sufficient experience. Moreover, he had been brought up in a political environment where practical politics is deeply rooted.

It is not the number of years in politics that matters to take over a leadership. It is the desire to work for the people, commitment, charisma, dedication and dynamism which make one a leader, and a popular leader. Sajith Premadasa has all those qualities and the majority support from the UNP membership. I am sure that most of the people who left the UNP during the past few years will return to the party the day Premadasa becomes leader. Because then the people will have confidence, faith and hope of a UNP regime once again.

Q: Do you mean to say that many members left the UNP due to Ranil Wickremesinghe's poor leadership?

A: Ranil Wickremesinghe's foolish, unrealistic and short-sighted political decisions demoralised most of our senior party leaders. He does not foresee the repercussions of losing a provincial stalwart. We have lost a large number of district and, provincial leaders mainly due to his arrogance and the dictatorial manner in which he handled party affairs. Some may have joined the government to enjoy perks and personal benefits, but most of the prominent hardcore UNPers left due to Wickremesinghe's fault.

He has already done irreparable damage to the party and if he remains as the leader for a few more years, the UNP will be reduced to the level of minor parties in this country.

Therefore, the membership has decided to change the leadership at the next UNP Convention through its vibrant reforms which have been already ratified by the Executive Committee.

Q: But it is the general belief that most of the Executive Committee members have been appointed by Ranil Wickremesinghe and that they will not go against the present leadership in the event of an election for the leadership.

A: Wait and see what will happen at the next convention. Now everybody has realised that the leadership should change for the UNP to return to power at a future election. Right now there may be a few members who do not want to antagonise the leadership and express different opinions, to save their skin, but when the time is right they will jointly and individually ask him to step down honourably from the leadership before he is forcibly ousted.

Q: How confident are you that Sajith Premadasa can restore the lost glory and guide the party to victory at a future election.

A: Various informal surveys conducted by silent front-runners of the party had revealed that Sajith is the most suitable person to take over the reins of the party.

He will definitely regroup the dissident factions and marshal the progressive forces in the country to achieve a future victory for the UNP.

Q: Don't you think that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government is very strong, especially with victory over terror and subsequent development work being carried out all over the country?

A: We admit that winning the war was a great achievement of his Government. However, the post-war situation in the North and the East, especially regarding the people who were affected, were not properly addressed.

People won't continue to support a government for development activities alone. It's just one area. In that case, the UNP would never have been defeated after JR and Premadasa.

The cost of living has skyrocketed and the people find it difficult to make ends meet.

They face many other problems as well. So, it is easy for the Opposition to bounce back to power at a future election with a vibrant, dynamic and practical leadership.