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| Sunday, 30 October 2005 |
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Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Two UNP elephants battle in Wayamba From Nalin Fernando - a Special Correspondent The battle for UNP organizational supremacy in Kurunegala between the Johnstone Fernando (New Brigade) and Gamini Jayawickreme Perera (Old Guard) has been settled once and for all with a resounding win for the former who is backed by the party leadership in Colombo. The final test to decide the sustained thorny issue was when Mangala Ranaraja, an attorney-at-law from a family of nationally known politicians, who got recent nomination as party organiser for Mawathagama with the Old Guard support, was forced to withdraw last week and the Johnny Fernando candidate Kumari Ekanayake, a little-known Provincial Council member, was given his place. The official party line for forcing Ranaraja to withdraw is that a woman should get a slot in the district electorate to replace Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake (Wariyapola) who is not seeking election again. The contra opinion is that Johnstone Fernando, who has Kurunegala, wants a puppet in his former haunts. A group of influential UNP lawyers from Kurunegala met Deputy UNP leader Karu Jayasuriya at the Mayor's residence in Colombo late last week to protest against the forced withdrawal of Ranaraja who was present to explain his predicament. They were told that the decision was made by Ranil Wickremasinghe and it cannot be changed. They also told Jayasuriya that long-standing supporters of Gamini Jayawickreme Perera, the lynch-pin of past UNP power in Kurunegala District, were furious that he has been cast aside and dubbed "old and toothless" by Johnny and his henchmen, and this situation could have disastrous results in the Presidential Elections. The powerful Johnny Fernando lobby with the UNP hierarchy in Colombo has also had their say in the party organiser nominations for Hiriyala and Dodangaslanda. The names forwarded by the senior party workers were unceremoniously rejected by Colombo and names with the Johnny stamp have been chosen without any consideration or knowledge of certain sociological shades, which swing the vote in these electorates. The only UNP stalwart in Kurunegala District who has an independent say is Akila Kariyawasam of Hettipola, considered a trustworthy personal friend of Ranil Wickremasinghe who can sit together and break bread and talk the same language unlike Johnstone Fernando. Old party loyalists say, " Johnny not likes this situation". At the Kurunegala lawyers meeting with Karu Jayasuriya these and similar "insensitive" decisions taken by Ranil Wickremasinghe at the behest of his young urban advisors who are either afraid of Johnny or overawed by his 'big talk" had been brought to the UNP Deputy Leader's notice that, according to those present, remained "silent and sphinx-like". The consensus of opinion among the UNP supporters in Kurungeala is that the party will not do well in the district in the forthcoming Presidential Elections as in the past. The UNP vote has been fragmented, said a leading Kurunegala businessman, whose family has been associated with the party for generations. "The old supporters of the UNP in Wayamba been cold-shouldered or forced to take a rear seat. Although their places have been taken by a set of young, rich businessmen, many of them in the booming motor car, motor bicycle and auxiliary trades, who generously supported the party in the past, there is a no-win situation today," he said. The vicious circle, according him, is the fact that almost all of these successful entrepreneurs hail from the south and they are expected to give their vote to the Man from the South ignoring their party loyalty on this instance. Although they have been threatened by the Johnny strong-arm squad that their businesses will be boycotted if they do not support Wickremasinghe, they are expected to stick to their decision of supporting Rajapakse. Others view the contest in the NWP as a personality clash between a "Village Arachchi" and an "Urban Imposter". The majority rural vote in a general election is for the UNP as it has always been but come November 17 they are expected to vote for the Rajapakse name and the "gamaya" image being touted to them very effectively by the coalition propagandists. But the diehard UNP supporters from the Kurunegala upper and middle class society are certain of a Wickremasinghe victory. They opine that the JVP has no appeal in a prosperous district dominated by tradesmen, most of them aligned to the coconut industry. Add to that score the minority vote, mostly from the affluent Muslim community, while a bonus is the soothsayers' prophecy that the stars favour Ranil Wickremasinghe on his thirteenth effort to reach the zenith of his political career. Meanwhile, further north of Kurunegala, the appointment of Thilanga Sumathipala to organise support in Anuradhapura is also causing petulancy among a section of the party supporters in the NCP since former UNP spin-master, Sirisena Cooray, had been working the area on his recent reluctant return to the fold. The UNP hierarchy has given the reason for Sumathipala's sudden appointment to the NCP as the need for money to oil the insolvent party machinery in the area handled by Cooray who is regarded as an organizational wizard but not willing to dip into his pocket to finance his efforts. Millionaire Sumathipala's sudden elevation in party activities is
expected to result in criticism of Presidential Candidate Wickremasinghe
being watered down in Sumathipala- controlled news publications. |
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