Leadership tussle in UNP:

PC Opposition Leaders endorse Ranil's leadership

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

Kasthuri Anuradhanayake	Daya Gamage
Upali Samaaweera	Manju Sri Arangala

The bone of contention in the political circles at present is the UNP crisis which has reached deplorable proportions to the utter dismay and displeasure of the party supporters amounting to about five million in the country.

It is an open secret now that the party is divided into two factions Ranil's group and Sajith's group.

After the successive defeats suffered by the party since 2004 general election, the party leadership was challenged by Hambantota district young parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa and his campaign gradually gathered momentum.

At present it had lead to a clear division which is not favourable to the forward march of the party.

Reformist group headed by Sajith Premadasa convened a meeting of all UNP provincial councillors at the Library Services Auditorium Colombo last week to brief them about the future plans in changing the leadership of the party to bring back the party to power at a future election. However, to the utter disappointment of the organisers not even one third of UNP provincial councillors attended the meeting while none of the Opposition Leaders of any of the provincial councils were present.

The satyagraha campaign organised by the reformists to be held in front of the party Headquarters, Sirikotha against the incumbent leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, couldn't be conducted as planned when the roadway was closed suddenly for reconstruction work. They shifted the venue to Victoria Park where Sajith Premadasa called upon Ranil Wickremesinghe to hand over the leadership to Karu Jayasuriya.

All executive members met at Sirikotha same evening and lots of arguments and counter arguments took place.

A number of resolutions was unanimously passed and all members agreed to work under Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership and to launch an aggressive election campaign at the forthcoming local government elections. Reformist group members who are presently in the Executive Committee also attended the meeting and pledged their fullest co-operation at the elections.

In the backdrop of these developments Sunday Observer contacted Opposition Leaders of Provincial Councils to seek their views in respect of the present Leadership crisis of the party and their future course of action. Excerpts of the interviews:

Opposition Leader - Kasthuri Anuradhanayake North Central Provincial Council.

Q: Your party is in a chaotic situation with the leadership issue brewing up again and some of the front runners are making public statements which are not very favourable to the forward march of a political party which has rendered a great service to the country since its inception. How do you view this situation and to which group do you belong?

A: There is no leadership crisis as you have claimed. We had a problem in the past and with our last Annual Convention and at a subsequent Executive committee meeting we sorted out differences and Ranil Wickremesinghe remained the leader while Sajith Premadasa willingly accepted the Co-deputy leadership. It's true that there were subsequent developments.

Last Wednesday we had the Executive Committee meeting and all those present unanimously agreed to work under Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership to ensure our victory at the forthcoming local government election leaving aside all petty differences.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is the most eligible person to lead our party with the abundance of knowledge and experience gathered over three decades under the previous leaders. Although we have lost at a few past elections it doesn't mean that he should be held responsible for all that.

If everybody had done his part at the right time (including myself), we wouldn't have lost so badly. Members should not be in an undue hurry to capture power and leadership of a party.

Why not we look at our past. J.R. Jayewardene was four years elder than Dudley Senanayake. There were differences of opinion between them on certain issues. But they never fought in public and demoralised the party membership.

He remained patient till his time came. Similarly those who aspire to become the leader of our party should work with devotion, dedication and patience to ensure its victory.

Some of the vociferous reformist members have been introduced to politics by Ranil Wickremesinghe himself and I am surprised to see that they don't have an iota of gratitude to him.

Q: How many members of your council attended the meeting convened by reformist group last week?

A: We have 12 members representing our party and only 4 attended that meeting. We are a democratic party. I didn't want to stand on their way whether it was correct or wrong.

Daya Gamage - Opposition Leader Eastern Provincial Council

Q: Your party has suffered defeat after defeat during the last few years and the entire party is in disarray at present with the party leadership being challenged by the Sajith Premadasa group. Some people say that the main reason for repeated losses is the arrogance on the part of the leadership and if there is a change in the leadership, the party will bounce back to power at a future election. Your comments?

A: I don't agree with what they say.

I have given leadership to Eastern Province for the party and since we have lost the election should I blame the leader? May be that there were shortcomings in my organisational work too. But compared to some other provinces I think we are better off.

It doesn't mean that I try to justify my performance. Our province is a predominantly Muslim area and the SLMCs joining the government could be the root cause for our defeat.

In addition to these problems, the former UNP MPs' attitude towards the party members has caused much displeasure.

The person who represented the district for a long time had not properly looked after our grass-roots level membership.

That is one of the reasons for our defeat at the last election.

I took over this district a few years ago and am quite confident that with the support of my Provincial Councillors and other party activists in the area, I will be able to regain the lost glory of our party at a future election.

I shall not put the blame on the leader for my defeat. Had all of us worked together with devotion and dedication identifying the priorities of the people in the area, we could have won the district and the province as well. As a businessman I always believe in the experience, maturity and the far sightedness of my superiors.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is the most experienced and also the man with a clear vision in our party right now and we should extend our fullest support, courage and assistance to him to topple this regime at a future election.

I don't like to cast aspersions or level any unfounded allegations at anybody for the defeats suffered by the party. We must think positively and mend our ways.

I have nothing personal against Sajith Premadasa or Karu Jayasuriya or anybody for that matter. What I firmly believe is that everybody should work as a single unit leaving aside petty differences to achieve victory at a future election.

It is very easy if all of us are united and launch an aggressive campaign against the government at a future election.

Q: How many councillors of your party attended the meeting convened by the Sajith Premadasa group last week in Colombo.

A: None of our members attended the meeting. Everybody accepted Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership and pledged to work for the future party victory.

Manju Sri Arangala - Opposition Leader, Western Provincial Council

Q: You are a very vociferous speaker for the party. You are also the Opposition Leader of the Western Provincial Council. How do you view the present political situation in the party? and how do you hope to bring in peace between the two battling factions of the party?

A: I have been airing my views openly during the past few years with due respect to our leadership. But unfortunately my appeals and requests have fallen on deaf ears.

Those internal party squabbles have demoralised our grass-roots level membership very badly. Unless these two groups get together and work, our victory even at a future election would be a distant dream.

That is exactly why I called upon Karu Jayasooriya at the last executive committee meeting to act as a bridge in making peace and unite these two warring factions without further jeoperdising the party and the general membership.

There is no argument that Ranil Wickremesinghe is the most suitable person to lead our party whereas others such as Sajith Premadasa and Karu Jayasooriya possess different leadership qualities.

What is necessary right now is to pool all their talents and defeat this government at a future election and bring back the lost glory to our party soon. We can do that under Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership provided everybody work together shedding all differences in the interest of the party.

Q: How many WPC members attended the meeting convened by reformist group last week at the Library Services Auditorium, Colombo.

A: We have 28 sitting members in the council and only 8 had attended this meeting in support of Sajith Premadasa and one of them have subsequently regretted his presence there.

A. A. Wijethunga - Opposition Leader, Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council

Q: What have you got to say about the present position of your party which has suffered defeat after defeat - Who is responsible for these defeats? Is it the leader as some people have alleged?

A: What do you mean by the present position? The United National Party which has a great history will continue to function as the only major party in this country. It is true that it has lost at a few previous elections. Perhaps you may be aware that we have experienced a very lean period politically during the past number of years due to various reasons.

We lost most of our great leaders due to LTTE terrorism.

That was the major obstacle we had.

With the defeat of LTTE terrorism the present government became popular. That was the main reason for our defeats.

At the same time we must accept the fact that we are not well organised. How many electorates are there without chief organisers? We shouldn't blame only the leader for our own defeats.

All are equally responsible. Also I feel that Sajith Premadasa should be entrusted with adequate powers to strengthen the party's organisational activities countrywide of which he is very capable.

Then we can easily return to power at a future election. The party unity is vital to win any election.

Q: How many members of your PC attended the meeting convened by reformist group last week in Colombo.

A: We have 16 members and only 4 of them have attended that meeting.

Upali Delton Samaraweera - Opposition Leader, Uva Provincial Council.

Q: There is a spiralling dispute among the UNP membership over the leadership issue at present. How do you view this situation and what do you think that the higherups in the party should do to bring back the lost glory of the party?

A: All these problems cropped up mainly due to the repeated defeats suffered by the party since the 2004 general elections. It is very common in any major party that when it is in the opposition for a long time, this type of leadership problems arise. It is not correct to put the blame only on the leader for the repeated losses.

However, grass-roots level membership expects a change in the leadership. What I personally feel is that Ranil Wickremesinghe should become the Senior Leader of the party paving the way for Sajith Premadasa take over the leadership and conduct organisational work countrywide.

Undoubtedly Ranil Wickremesinghe is the most suitable person to lead the party. But the grass-roots level membership epxects a change in the leadership. So why not we listen to them that is where our vote bases is established.

Q: How many of your PC members took part in the meeting convened by the reformist group last week in Colombo?

A: We have seven members in our fold and only 2 or 3 had attended in that meeting.

Repeated efforts made by the Sunday Observer to get the views of Southern PC and Wayamba PC Opposition leaders in respect of the leadership issue miserably failed.