What ails the UNP?

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

Wheels within wheels is what the United National Party (UNP) today. Even to the hardcore partymen and to the neophyte alike what has happened to the monolith UNP is the million dollar question. What has gone wrong. Who should bear responsibility for this sorry state of affairs? Will it ever rise from the ashes.

The United National Party founded by D.S. Senanayake in 1946, had been a formidable political force since its inception till 2001.

The United National Party had been headed by six leaders since its formation and it had never bogged down in the opposition for more than one parliamentary term until 2004.

First setback

The first defeat of the party suffered was in 1956 under the leadership of Sir John Kothalawala, an arrogant and rigid leader who have had constant conflicts even with the Maha Sangha. Following the humiliating defeat he stepped down from the party leadership and politics and lived in isolation till his death in 1979.

The United National Party bounced back to power in March 1960 only to be defeated soon in July, the same year at the Throne Speech.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

D.S. Senanayake

Dudley Senanayake

Sir John Kothalawala

Dudley Senanayake and J.R. Jayewardene got together and revived the party and formed a stable government in 1965. The party’s priority was for a solid agricultural base with Dudley Senanayake’s Food Drive Movement. Dudley strongly believed in promoting agriculture in the country and his aim was to make the country self-sufficient in rice production. Various programs were conducted in schools to instil the concept in schoolchildren. However, at the subsequent election in 1970 the UNP was swept out of power reducing its strength to only 17 members in the House. The relevant post mortem later revealed that Dudley’s government was taken for a ride due to bureaucratic bungling.

The United Front (UF) Government headed by Sirimavo Bandaranaike which received a two-thirds majority in 1970 rapidly became weak due to its anachronistic economic policies which resulted in scarcity in essential food items and day-to-day requirements.

Dudley Senanayake passed away in 1973 and the undisputed deputy leader J.R. Jayawardene was unanimously elected leader from which point the party was completely reorganised. A number of changes was effected in the party mechanism to suit the prevailing political situation in the country. J.R.J. Was the first leader who gave the pride of place to the man in the street, as electoral organisers of the party and dispelled the wrong notion among the UNP critics that UNP was Unge Nedeyange pakshaya

J.R. Jayewardene

Ranasinghe Premadasa

D.B. Wijethunga

J.R. Jayawardene a far-sighted political visionary and a true democrat rendered his unconditional support to the Sirimavo Government when her government was threatened by undemocratic forces. When the UF government extended its life span by two years JRJ mobilised all progressive forces against the government and achieved an unprecedented five sixth victory at the election held in 1977. All the candidates from ordinary backgrounds that were fielded were successful and some of them with huge majority votes. It was a political tsunami that defeated long standing political stalwarts such as LSSP leader Dr. N.M. Perera and Felix Dias Bandaranaike by mere political neophytes.

J.R. Jayawardene’s two terms of office could be considered an epoch-making era in the annals of the country’s history as there was a complete change in the socio-economic sphere of the country at the time.

The vast edifices of the Mahaweli Diversion scheme, Free Trade Zones, the city of Jayawardenepura with its magnificent parliament, The Jayawardenepura Hospital, The high-rise buildings and tourist hotels that were built after the introduction of the free market economy and shift from a stagnant socialist economy to a more liberalised one are some of the main achievements which took place during his tenure of office which ultimately resulted in consolidating the party membership islandwide very strongly.

However, he weathered all political storms over certain critical issues from within and without. He eventually overcame all opposing forces and reached his goal tactfully.

The well consolidated United National Party continued in office unabated till 1994 under two other leaders Ranasinghe Premadasa and D.B. Wijethunga. However, during Ranasinghe Premadasa’s tenure there were some dramatic changes in the party mainly due to his arrogant and stubborn behaviour. Some of the party stalwarts broke away from the party which ultimately affected the entire party mechanism. It is the strong belief of political annalyists that the downfall of the United National Party commenced with the formation of the Eagle party by Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake in 1992.

The United National Party suffered its worst setback from 1993-1994 losing all its prominent leaders such as Ranjan Wijeratne, Lalith Athulathmudali, incumbent President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Gamini Dissanayake and a host of other party stalwarts.

The United National Party was marginally defeated at General Election in 1994 headed by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance and the party was comprehensively defeated at the subsequent Presidential Election.

Party leadership was vested on Ranil Wickremesinghe in 1994 and he became the leader of the Opposition. He formed a government at the 2001 election with the support of a breakaway group from the ruling PA headed by its General Secretary S.B. Dissanayake and six other vociferous ministers. However, Ranil Wickremesinghe was unable to consolidate the power he achieved and continue due to a number of reasons. Chandrika Kumaratunga backed by the JVP dissolved the UNP government in two years and the UNP was comprehensively defeated at the election held in 2004.

The rapid erosion of the United National Party commenced with the 2005 Presidential election and since then it had been a very pathetic performance by the party at every subsequent election.

It has now come to a stage where the once formidable party has been reduced to a mere nominal opposition in parliament. With the repeated defeats suffered by the party the present leadership is challenged by some party front-runners and it is quite evident that the party is fragmented in to Ranil’s group, Sajith’s group and Karu’s group and so on.

An independent analyst has viewed the present predicament of the party after deeply scrutinising the vital issues and the manner in which certain national and political affairs handled by the party hierarchy had been some of the main reasons for its downfall.

The stand taken by Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government to solve the North East problem never paid desired dividends. But it only aggravated the situation and the Tigers became stronger while the government lost a large number of men and machinery. When the present rulers had been militarily crushing the Tigers, the UNP never supported its efforts but tried to ridicule the government’s efforts. Most of the party men were not happy with the situation and got themselves distracted from the party.

Another main reason for the party’s defeat at the 2004 election was the cessation of State employment by a government gazette notification issued by Charitha Ratwatte, the Secretary to the treasury.

All the educated youth were dissatisfied with the decision and joined the anti-government forces then.

The UNP does not possess an effective media unit to counteract the allegations levelled against them from time to time and specially during elections by the government.

The intra party conflicts have disintegrated the party membership and hardcore UNP supporters have now become lethargic and lost hope.

the UNP’s failure to reach out to the masses in rural areas is yet another major reason for the loss of rural vote base. There is no place for upcoming youth in the party and the party high command was referred as gerontocracy.

Internal divisions of the party over the accommodation of one-time hardcore UNP critics without consulting the party membership has also incurred the displeasure of some members.

The lack of an islandwide effective propaganda network is another major setback for sorry state of affairs of the party. Party messages are not correctly conveyed to the entire membership of the party accurately and on time.

Former UNP veterans have completely disassociated themselves from the party under the present dispensation.

According to independent political analysts it is not correct to point an accusing finger at a particular individual for the repeated defeats of the party but collective efforts have to be made by all decision-makers of the party taking into consideration its lapses and addressing all shortcomings with consultation compromise and consensus of all stakeholders.