UNP hails President Rajapaksa

Sunday Observations: The Political Column

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe this week wrote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa indicating his cooperation to help the government in response to the President’s request to join hands. As Wickremesinghe returned to the country from Norway, the President’s letter was top in the agenda as party members stressed the urgency to consider the letter from the President. Wickremesinghe met MPs individually at his Cambridge Terrace office. A few met him in groups as they had other matters to discuss. The majority of MPs expressed their willingness to help President Rajapaksa in the interest of the people and the nation.

The UNP leader too stated that it was important to place the country before politics and urged senior members to work out modalities on how to support the government. Following these discussions, the issue is now set for discussion at the next parliamentary group meeting. A number of UNPers have expressed confidence in the manner President Rajapaksa was taking steps to counter LTTE terrorism to safeguard the people and the nation. They believed that the LTTE had been weakened by the counter measures taken by the security forces and the manner the President let the troops handle the situation without political interference.

While the UNP focused attention on the President’s invitation to support the government, the party rank and file were anxious to know when the reforms would be implemented to restructure the party. Many anticipate positions in the party under the reforms. Now the focus is much on the important position of the general secretary. The present Deputy General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake is on a vigorous campaign to grab the post but,the support coming from the senior members seem to be poor. Party seniors opt for a man with political experience and stature to handle the position of general secretary.

North Western UNP giant, Gamini Jayawickreme Perera appears to be the choice of the majority of those in the party as they feel Attanayake is too young and inexperienced to take up affairs of that post. Some close to Attanayake argue that if it was good for Gamini Athukorale to have been the general secretary of the party, Attanayake was also equal to the task. Those supporting Jayawickreme Perera point out that Athukorale, a talented young man at that time who entered the cabinet in the Premadasa government gathered a wealth of experience prior to attaining the position of general secretary. Tissa Attanayake had only been a state minister of non-cabinet rank had been more in the opposition than in a government. On the contrary, Athukorale, a deputy minister in the J. R. Jayewardene government was a popular figure in the party from his entry to the UNP who worked under three UNP Presidents.

While a few in the party are to propose the name of Attanayake, the majority are ready to propose Gamini Jayawickreme Perera for the position of general secretary. A senior UNPer from Colombo has expressed his willingness to second the proposal. Meanwhile, Rukman Senanayake who was tipped to succeed Malik Samarawickreme as UNP chairman appear to be silent to let the party decide on the issue. Rukman, a moderate man is never ambitious. Party sources say that some ‘interested’ sections in the party have forced Rukman into the fray to prevent Karu Jayasuriya from being the chairman a second time.

In their plan, to prevent Jayasuriya, another proposal was mooted to amend the party constitution to prevent a member from holding two positions in the party at the same time.

However, Jayasuriya is not keen to enter into a controversy. But, several party men who have met him has urged him to come back as chairman stating that Jayasuriya acted in a fair manner as chairman in his earlier stint. They also claim that if Jayasuriya was brought back, it would strengthen the hands of Wickremesinghe as the latter had much confidence in his deputy. Jayasuriya as acting leader in the absence of Wickremesinghe has always decided on issues after contacting Wickremesinghe. Even though the letter was addressed to him by the President last week calling for the support of the UNP, Jayasuriya quite rightly telephoned Wickremesinghe in Norway to inform him. The disciplined conduct of Jayasuriya is hailed by party members.

Another battle is on for the post of Treasurer in the party. Ravi Karunanayake has expressed his desire to have that position. But, a group led by another Colombo district MP who is at the centre of a controversy for issuing death threats are to challenge that in the past no MP had occupied that post. However, the party constitution does not rule out that possibility. If Karunanayake is not offered that post, it is likely that he would not accept any post under the reforms. The reforms itself are likely to run into another stormy session in the party at the next convention due shortly.