UNP Leadership Council-a positive step towards victory

by Jaliya Wijeyekoon

All registered political parties are engaged in party reorganisational activities, targeting a general election or presidential election soon.

Niroshan Padukka

The United National Party (UNP) which had been a very powerful and dominent political force in the past, had experienced a lean period politically over the last few years. They have now got a new lease of life with the formation of the Leadership Council and are aggressively involved in their reorganisational activities.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the Western Provincial Councillor and Kesbewa Electoral Organiser Niroshan Padukka to seek his views with regard to the party's present position, its reorganisational activities and other related matters.

Excerpts:

Q: You are a qualified Chartered Marketeer, Investment Advisor and Banker. What made you sacrifice your professional career and get involved in politics?

A: Well, United National Party politics have been in my blood from birth. I am the third generation member in the Padukka family to be involved in politics. My father and grandfather were close associates of leaders of the UNP of yesteryear and held different positions in the party.

So, naturally, I was dragged into politics. If there is a column in the birth certificate to say to which party the new-born belonged to, I am sure my father would have gladly said that I belonged to the United National Party.

Q: Your party, which had been a formidable political force since its inception till about 2004, has now been reduced to a deplorable level. What is the reason for this gradual deterioration?

A: According to the 1978 Constitution and the provisions in our party constitution, crossing over to another party disqualifies you from remaining as a member of Parliament. But with the controversial verdict of former Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva this provision was nullified. Henceforth, some of our parliamentarians left us and joined the UPFA. Prior to that, our party had suffered tremendous misfortunes with the assassinations of great UNP leaders such as Lalith Athulathmudali, Ranjan Wijeratne, Ranasinghe Premadasa and Gamini Dissanayake. Our grassroots level membership was fully demoralised over these fatal blows and that led us to this poor situation.

Q: You formed a government in 2001 under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe but couldn't consolidate this position and continue due to various shortcomings, What have you got to say?

A: I personally feel that we shouldn't have grabbed power with a breakway group in 2001. We should have strengthened our grassroots level membership further and strategically challenged the government at the right time.

However, Ranil Wickremesinghe did a lot to revive the economy and weaken the LTTE movement. Karuna Amman and Pillayan had openly admitted that both of them broke away from Prabkakaran with 1,500 and 1,200 terrorists following the Ceasefire Agreement of Wickremesinghe. Also, an annual report of the Sri Lankan Navy clearly says that the naval aid from the USA following the Ceasefire Agreement helped them wipe out the Sea Tigers.

Wickremesinghe also negotiated an interest-free loan of Rs. 4.5 billion from the World Bank to revive the economy and run the country smoothly. Then the JVP and some unscrupulous elements of the SLFP realised that it would be suicidial for them and pressurised Chandrika Kumaratunga to dissolve the government. They launched a malicious campaign against the UNP at the election and we were defeated.

Wickremesinghe lost the first Presidential election he contested in 1999 as there was a bomb explosion in the Colombo Municipal grounds and the incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunga was badly injured and she scored a sympathetic vote against Wickremesinghe.

Then, at the next Presidential election, Prabhakaran didn't allow the Tamil community in the North to cast their votes.

Q: Some say that your party is now divided into two groups as Ranil's group and Sajith's group. To which group do you belong?

A: The UNP is not Ranil's party or Sajith's party, it belongs to all people in all corners of the country irrespective of race, caste, creed or social strata. I belong to the United National Party and not to any individual. I have equal respect for all our leaders.

Q: But your party was plagued by problem after problem during the recent past over the leadership issue. Isn't that so?

A: When any democratic political party remains stagnant in the Opposition for a long time, it is quite natural that internal problems crop up. Can't you remember what happened to the SLFP from 1977-1994? It had disintegrated into a number of groups. In 1977, the SLFP lost even the Opposition Leader's post in Parliament.

However, after 17 long years, they managed to return to power. That is democracy. Similarly, we are very sure that at the next election, the UNP will form a stable government with the aggressive and dynamic reorganisational activities being carried out at present.

Q: But with the ongoing development activities and the benefits enjoyed by the people, do you think that you can win a future election?

A: More than the general development activities, people need reasonable living standards.

When we go around the country on our reorganisational activities, people come out with various grievances and we realise the difficulties they may be undergoing.

It is not difficult for us to mobilise the masses against this administration and form a UNP government at any future election.

Q: What is the progress of the newly formed Leadership Council?

A: The Leadership Council has been formed to delegate responsibilities to all leaders and work as a single unit, following the instructions of the Maha Sangha. I think it is a positive step towards a certain future victory.