UNP leaders air different views

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

The long drawn out battle for supremacy of the grand old party was settled amicably a few weeks ago to the surprise of the entire membership. The annual United National Party convention held on December 12, 2010 unanimously adopted some amendments to the party’s Constitution, to make the party mechanism more democratic and transparent in selecting officials for high positions in the party.

Dayasiri Jayasekera	Thalatha Athukorala	Ranjith Madduma Bandara	Ranjan Ramanayake	Imithiaz Bakeer Markar

The leadership struggle in the UNP commenced with the consecutive defeats that the party suffered at the last few elections, especially with the humiliating defeat at the last Presidential election followed by the general election.

Young Hambantota district parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa, the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa started challenging the UNP leadership and his challenge gathered momentum since some of the party stalwarts openly supported him.

The United National party was virtually divided into two groups - Ranil’s group and Sajith’s group - in the recent past and at the last much-awaited annual convention the party membership arrived at a number of resolutions which gave hope to everybody that they would pave the way for the party membership to elect their leader in a more democratic manner.

However, immediately after the annual convention the UNP had to fully engage themselves in the Local Government elections and both Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith premadasa went around the country and launched a vigorous election campaign in support of their candidates.

Meetings addressed by Premadasa attracted crowds in all parts of the country.

But the election results revealed that the popularity of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government has not faded away and the people have fully endorsed the constructive measures taken by the Government to ameliorate the living standards of the people after the eradication of terrorism in the country.

Going by the resolutions passed at the December 12 convention, the UNP hierarchy decided to appoint the new office bearers of the party and convened the Ex-Co meeting immediately after the Local government, election. Different views and opinions were expressed, arguments and counter-arguments were made and after a long session a conclusion arrived at to appoint the leaders of the party through the consensus of the membership.

The next day they met again and to the surprise of all UNP supporters in the country Ranil Wickremesinghe was re-appointed leader of the party. Sajith Premadasa, who had been vying for the leadership over the past ten months, agreed to accept the co-deputy leaders post of the party without venturing into an election for the prestigious position of the leadership with Wickremesinghe.

Premadasa’s supporters all over the country were flabbergasted over his eleventh hour decision and all his close confidants were in a quandary as to how they should cope with the new situation.

Premadasa, though not a very seasoned politician, imbibed his late father’s political instincts and knows the negative repercussions of internal party conflicts, he correctly explained his desire to take one foot back and accept the co-deputy leader’s post for the greater good of the party.

All the Parliamentarians who supported him have now endorsed his decision and will continue to give their fullest cooperation to him, in his future political activities.

The Sunday Observer contacted some of the party stalwarts to get their views on the latest developments in the party after the re-appointment of Wickremesinghe as the party leader.

Dayasiri Jayasekera, MP for Kurunegala district

Q: You were one of the vociferous speakers of the Sajith Premadasa faction. Don’t you think that all your efforts have gone down the drain with the re-appointment of Wickremesinghe as the party leader and Premadasa accepting the co-deputy leader’s post?

A: I agree with you that I supported Sajith premadasa, but at the last executive committee meeting we elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as our party leader with the consensus of all members. He is the majority choice of the party and now it is our prime duty as true democrats to give our fullest cooperation to him in carrying out the future political activities of the party.

I don’t expect you to brand me as anybody’s man in future because I am loyal to the man who is elected by the majority. Sajith will continue his good work with the new responsibilities vested on him by way of the new post and it will pave the way for him to achieve his goal in the future quite effectively and successfully. I will help all leaders in the party to bring back the UNP to power as soon as possible.

Thalatha Athukorala, MP for Ratnapura district

Q: As the leader of the Women’s League of the United National Party and as a senior parliamentarian, you had been pretty outspoken in supporting Premadasa in his efforts to become the leader of the party. But the whole process had taken a different turn and finally the leadership is thrust back upon Wickremesinghe. Premadasa accepted the co-Deputy Leader post in the party.

In this scenario and specially after the National Convention on December 12 where you passed a number of new resolutions, are you confident that the UNP has got a new lease of life which will lead the party to victory at a future election?

A: Well, first I must say that Sajith took a very correct decision to accept the co-Deputy Leader post to avoid a split in the party. Had he opted for an election the party membership would have divided into two groups.

But nobody is happy with the latest developments in the party as some senior members who had rendered invaluable services in the past have been completely sidelined at the appointments made recently to the executive committee.

Take the case of Imithiaz Bakeer Marker who was a tower of strength to the party.

Apart from party politics he is an affable and non-communal minded gentleman who was loved by everybody. He had been dropped from the APEX body of the party for no apparent reason.

Ranjith Madduma Bandara’s name was proposed for the national organisers post for which he is quite eligible, but the leadership doesn’t like him and the matter is unnecessarily dragging on without a solution. So how can we expect this party to bounce back to power soon?

Wickremesinghe wants to remain as the Leader of the Opposition for ever; he is not interested in bringing the party back to power.

We hope that Premadasa will one day resurrect this party and restore its lost glory.

Ranjan Ramanayake MP for Ratnapura district

Q: You had taken a very diplomatic stand during the leadership tussle and went even to the extent of openly saying that you wouldn’t vote for anybody in the event of an election for the leadership post in the party. Now that the leadership tussle is over and Wickremesinghe re-appointed party leader and Sajith accepting the co-Deputy Leader’s post, what do you think would be the future of the party? and the membership at large?

A: Well, it’s true I said that I would not vote for anybody if they go for an election. Because an election for leadership would have definitely divided the party into two groups.

Anyway, I am very much contended that everything went the way most true party loyalists wanted.

We have to admit that Wickremesinghe is the most suitable, experienced and qualified man to be the leader while Premadasa has the practical political charisma to marshal the rural folk and mobilise all the forces effectively.

Look at the history of our party, from 1973 to the 1977 General election. J.R. Jayawardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa were leaders of two different calibre. Both worked together and revolutionised the party and achieved a historic five-sixth victory at the election.

Similarly, I am sure when Ranil and Sajith work together, hand in hand, victory for the UNP will not be very far away. Except for a few people in the party, the entire membership is very happy with the latest positive developments in the party.

Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP for Moneragala district

Q: Your name was proposed for the post of National Organiser of the party at the last executive Committee meeting held at party headquarters. But no final decision was taken by the party hierarchy. Instead, it was postponed for next month. When all high posts of the party were to be made with members’ consensus, what really happened with your nomination?

A: Unfortunately, our party leader doesn’t want to see our party coming to power even at a future election. Because of his shortsightedness, we have lost a large number of prominent party supporters. He doesn’t want me to be the National organiser of our party. But I am prepared even to go for an election for the post in the absence of a consensus. I am sure that I would emerge victorious.

Sunday Observer spoke to former Minister Imithiaz Bakeer Markar to get his views for not allocating a slot in the Executive Committee, he said that he had been working for the party honestly and to his maximum potential from his school days. He didn’t know that he had been dropped from the Apex body till it came out in the media. He said that he is not worried about it and would continue to work for the betterment of the party and the membership even in future until a UNP government is formed according to the aspirations of around five million UNP supporters in our country.