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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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From the frying pan to the fire From the Kraal Mahout The appointment of former Cabinet Secretary, N. K. K. Weragoda as UNP General Secretary by the party leader is viewed by party men as taking the party from the frying pan to the fire. Weragoda, a civil servant with not much experience in politics, was first brought in by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to be in charge of the Southern Provincial Council election that concluded on July 10. The former Cabinet Secretary, new to the game, found it difficult to cope with even before it was half way to the polls. This made Wickremesinghe rush his veteran Daham Wimalasena to the South to assist and rescue Weragoda. When Wimalasena moved in, everything seemed to be in a mess with candidates having their own way and party seniors in the South playing a low profile. There was hardly any time left for Wimalasena to revamp the process and all that was left was to let it go the way it went. Party stalwarts were of the view that this was due to the inexperience of Weragoda in the field of politics. Weragoda, a top civil servant, had not studied political scenes while being a bureaucrat for many years. Had he followed some of his predecessors like the brilliant Ronnie de Mel and Dr. Sarath Amunugama, the two most outstanding men in civil service to reach the peak in political office as Finance Ministers, Weragoda could have contributed something to gain recognition in the South. Be that as it may, the move by Wickremesinghe to start with Weragoda to strengthen the party proved futile with the UNP losing the province in a humiliating manner. Wickremesinghe, following this defeat, elevated Weragoda to the most important position of General Secretary, much to the shock and surprise of many seniors in the party. The post of the UNP General Secretary has been held by persons who have been groomed for that post over the years by the party leaders. Immediately after the death of Dudley Senanayake, J. R. Jayewardene groomed the late Harsha Abeywardene to that position and requested Nandalal Fernando to study under Abeywardene to take up that post in future. When Abeywardene was killed, Fernando assumed office, but unfortunately, he too was a victim of the gun. J.R. then decided on Ranjan Wijeratne, a strong UNPer and a relative. Wijeratne continued under Premadasa too till he was killed in a bomb explosion. Then Premadasa brought his confidante Sirisena Cooray. With the fall of Cooray in politics, the late Gamini Athukorale assumed that position. All these personalities have been men of recognition within the party who worked towards victory. After Athukorale's death, the white collared friend of Ranil, Senarath Kapukotuwa stepped in from outside the party and party insiders claim it was the beginning of the end. After much pressure, Kapukotuwa was moved out and party Treasurer, Milroy Perera was given an acting appointment for two months. He is now gone with Weragoda being introduced. In another move to revamp the party that is falling day by day with 13 electoral defeats of the 15 held, which is certainly a record under any UNP leader, Wickremesinghe last week decided to appoint a 13-member committee headed by ageing UNP stalwart N. G. P. Panditharatne. This again, party men say may head towards disaster with 13 being an unlucky number and Panditharatne being too old to think of strategies in the changing political scenario in the country. Party men welcome Panditharatne as a good advisor to the party but not as a leader to plan out strategies to revamp the party. "When Panditharatne was at his best, J.R. absorbed the better of that best into the party", said a UNP MP from Colombo who worked with J.R. from the 1960s. According to senior UNPers, the most important criteria urgently needed for the party is discipline and decorum. The party leader had appointed many committees but none of these committees have met regularly so far. The only committee that meets is the political committee headed by Wickremesinghe himself. These UNPers claimed that the UNP today has split into several groups, being unhappy over successive defeats under the present leadership. They said the UNP looked more unstable than ever before and chances of coming back to power was a distant dream. In the coming weeks, the pressure on Wickremesinghe will be more. Senior party stalwarts are to demand that experienced party men should be appointed district leaders instead of young turks who have proved to be failures. The move to introduce Akila Viraj from Kurunegala to Kaduwela by Wickremesinghe is seen as an immature move as Viraj is no match for JVP's Wimal Weerawansa, a born firebrand in politics like UNP's Premadasa at one time. Party seniors say that Weerawansa is a gifted man and asked how a young immature boy like Viraj can counter him at Kaduwela. Given these developments in the UNP, the party under Wickremesinghe's leadership look to be immersing in the mud. It is time for Wickremesinghe to heed to the call for a change in the top if his party is to survive. |
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