Confident of restoring UNP’s former glory - New National Organiser

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

Ranil Wickremesinghe reported a convincing victory, as expected by most party loyalists, amidst an aggressive campaign launched by the reformist group to hand over the reins of the party to Karu jayasuriya, the Co-Deputy Leader of the party.

Last Monday, December 19 will go down the annals of the Grand Old Party as a historic, crucial, sensitive and sad day of the UNP, awing to the elections for top positions in the party and the subsequent developments that took place at the party headquarters.

It was unfortunate to see the manner in which some of the goons, who claimed to be UNP loyalists, acted with the promulgation of the results. This type of brutal and dastardly acts are vehemently condemned by the cultured civil society, irrespective of party or other differences.

However, now that the elections are over, for all top positions in the party, the average UNP loyalists from all corners of the country expect all leaders and top office bearers to work in harmony and as a single unit for the betterment of the grass roots level membership and restore the lost glory of the party and to win a future election.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the newly elected national Organiser of the United national Party and Opposition Leader of the Eastern Provincial Council, Daya Gamage to ascertain his views on the present situation and his future course of action in revamping the disintegrating factions of the party.

Q: You are a successful business entrepreneur in the island. What made you take to politics, and also through the United National Party?

A: My father was a businessman and passed away when I was pretty young. My uncle who looked after us thereafter also died before I completed my studies at Ananda College and I was forced to go to Ampara where my father had initiated his business. It was in the seventies that I started my business in Ampara.

My father was involved in social service activities in Ampara from the era of D.S. Senanayake.

I had a target to achieve as a businessman and I believe that I had attained my goal. I had won a number of national awards as a businessman and been selected as the best Business Entrepreneur of the island in 2007 in addition to various other national and International awards and recognition.

I was interested in politics from my young days, but I wanted to get myself financially established and stablised before venturing into national politics.

As a businessman in the Ampara district, I was involved in social services for a long time and devoted my time, energy and money for the welfare of poor peasants in the district.

Former UNP leaders, Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali and Ranasinghe Premadasa wanted me to join the UNP and take over the Ampara district. I funded and undertook the campaign for P. Dayaratne from the beginning.

When the UNP was defeated 1994 and Chandrika Kumarathunga elected President, she too invited me to join her. She had sent Wijedasa Rajapaksha to my residence to convince me to join her. I had a long discussion with him and requested him to join the United National party instead of me joining the UPFA.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa once along with SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena invited me to join them and wanted me to take over Ampara district, but I turned down the request as my political views were different from theirs.

Policies and principles

I have thoroughly studied and scrutinised the policies and principles of both major parties and read the political history of this country and the development work carried out by both parties since independence and have arrived at the conclusion that this country could be developed and a decent standard of living provided to all people only through the economic policies of the UNP.

This time, I contested this top post in the party since I am impressed with Ranil Wickremesinghe’s far-sighted vision for the country and its future generations.

Among all present politicians, Wickremesinghe can be rated as the greatest visionary possessing an ocean of knowledge, not only in politics, but also in all other areas.

I have a comprehensive plan for rural economic development in this country and with Wickremesinghe’s economic policies, it would be easy for me to contribute to national development in future.

Q: You contested the National Organiser’s position of the party against an able and vociferous speaker who is already representing the Parliament for the second consecutive term. Did you ever dream of achieving such a big majority against Dayasiri Jayasekera? Some say that you bought over most of the working-Committee members. Is there any truth in this rumour?

A: First of all, let me tell you that we never had any serious election for office bearers in the past.

This time, when Karu Jayasuriya challenged the leadership and confirmed his desire to go for an election on the previous day, our party seniors wanted me to contest for the National Organiser post.

I had less than 24 hours to carry out a campaign, but I was confident that I would win. Most of our Working Committee members and all Parliamentary members know very well the degree of my dedication and commitment to the party from the time I became a UNP member way back in the late seventies.

Although I do not represent the national Legislature right now, my support to the party is on par with an ordinary member of Parliament or even more in terms of fund raising.

May be the majority of Working Committee members were of the opinion that I am a more energetic person than Dayasiri to handle this important position in the party; that may have been why I won this contest with a clear majority.

Your next remark that I have bought over members is totally baseless and unfounded. I am sorry to say that those who say these things are nincompoops or people without an iota of knowledge about the party activities.

Q: You are the Opposition leader of the Eastern Provincial Council. How is your relationship with the governing party there?

A: Well, I always maintain good relations with everybody in the East.

I have no problem with anybody on a personal level. But I always air my views and that of our party in discharging my official duties. We have differences of opinion on certain matters.

Huge responsibility

Q: Now that you have been elected National Organiser of the party, you have a huge responsibility in reorganising the party for a future victory. Being a busy businessman, how do you hope to allocate your time for this new challenging assignment?

A: My son has completed his Masters from the London School of Economics and is back here. I hope to hand over all my business enterprises to him and get myself fully involved in national politics. I know the degree of confidence reposed in me by the party hierarchy and I shall take every endeavour to fulfil my duties and obligations to the party to my fullest potential.

Q: Do you think that the sitting members and electoral organisers will extend their cooperation to you in organisational activities since you are a neophyte to national politics?

A: Though I am not a Parliamentarian, most of the sitting members are my personal friends and I personally know most of the electoral organisers.

I have been constantly in touch with them on political matters and that was why most of them supported me. I am quite sure that most of them are happy that I was elected National Organiser and they have already pledged to work with me to bring our party back to power.

Q: What are your immediate plans to revive the party from its state of slumber?

A: I am in the process of drawing up a comprehensive plan to re-organise the party on a national level right now.

Briefly, I hope to increase the present membership by 100 percent by the end of 2012.

Our students union, the ‘Samavadi Students Organisation’ will be resumed in all schools and universities in consultation with student leaders and they will be provided with guidelines, support and political training by which the party may be popularised among the younger generation.

Party branch organisations, women’s and youth leagues will be set up in all Grama Niladhari Divisions of all electorates in consultation and with the consensus of electoral organisers. I hope to revitalise the party organisations in other Western countries and obtain their assistance to strengthen our local organising units.

Another major and urgent need of the hour is to launch a fund-raising campaign for the party and I hope to attend to it with the guidance and blessings of our leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

I hope to work closely with different party organisations in other countries where democracy is practised and obtain whatever possible assistance for our members in the youth leagues to enhance their knowledge on democracy and Parliamentary affairs.

Our trade union, Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) has to be strengthened in all Government establishments and I hope to work hand in hand with everybody in the party as well as in various institutions to revitalise the activities of the JSS and make it a force to be reckon with in the near future. I remember how it functioned under Cyril Mathew in the seventies; I hope to bring it back to that strength with our present leaders. The United National Party had performed an immeasurable service to the nation from its inception. The time has come for the party to serve the people again.

Effective programs

Q: You seem to have an effective program to bring the party back to power. But fortunately or unfortunately, your own party people say that the UNP will never come back to power under Ranil’s leadership. What is your opinion on this?

A: It is a total misconception. Ranil Wickremesinghe formed a government in 2001. President Kumaratunga didn’t allow him to continue. Had he continued, he would have been the President today. Subsequently, with the victory over terrorism, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a better chance and that is the reason for the last election victory of the UPFA.

Q: Although the election for your party leadership and other posts is over some people are still clamouring that change is necessary for the party and so and so forth. What have you got to say?

A: It is very unfortunate if anybody is clamouring for any further change. Now that everything is settled and Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa elected Leader and Deputy Leader of the party, it is their duty to work hand in hand and bring back the lost glory of the party soon with our assistance and show the world that the United National Party is the most strong political force in this country.