It is time for Ranil to step down
Posted on April 14th, 2010

By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela.

It is amazing how Ranil keeps on going from failure to failure and still keeps on holding on to the opposition leadership, probably hoping for a place in Guinness book for the highest number of failures.

The commonest excuses blurted out by Ranil and his die hard supporters are

1. What is the alternative? That there are no other possible leaders.

That is not for him/ them to decide. If he is a true leader, Ranil should step down from the leadership but be there to guide the new leader ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” one with charisma, hard work and honesty like himself, and make sure the country at large and the party specifically profits. Is he large hearted enough to do so? Seems doubtful.

Besides, people have a way of rising to the occasion when faced with responsibility. Who knows the most unexpected person may turn out to be the best leader yet. Like what Mahinda turned out to be for UPFA.

2. The failures are due to other factors ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”like the government using the state machinery, vote rigging and thuggary.

Exactly the point. That is why Ranil must step down. Because, after knowing the exact factors causing the failures he was unable to counteract them. The leader is not one who wins when things are going g right but one who wins when things are going very very bad. That is what leader ship is all about. Obviously Ranil does not have it. The mere fact that after the thuggery at the Presidential election , if Ranil did not expect thuggery at every polling station this tiem around including Nawalapitiya, and take necessary actions to counteract them, then he is not fit to be leader. He can not ask what can I do? That is what the leader is supposed to derive at.

3. This time around the failure is due to the poor turnout of the voters.

And whose fault is that ? If Ranil was shrewd enough he would have known the Mahinda supporters were pretty smug sure of the victory and were not keen on voting. He should have carried out a compelling campaign to mobilize every single UNPer to come out and vote- even if victory was not possible at least to reduce the proportion of the UPFA . He miserably failed.

4. Ranil got a majority manape.

Yeah, what good does that do? And compared to the new comer Basil and compared to the total votes of Colombo this is pea nuts. And Colombo is not Srilanka. He has his friends, his colleagues who will vote for him. But what does that translate into PeopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s opinion? He has said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the people have not wanted me to step down.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Is that right? Who are the people? A mere 250,000 out of 18 million citizens?

His short comings are well known among the UNPers. He has no charisma ( which he cannot do much about, trying to dye his hair did not help), he does not listen to the party stalwarts, he has no common touch. His strengths are also well known ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” he is honest , he is a good economist and he has long term vision etc.

Most of all he is known to be a gentleman, but that notion is too getting eroded fast ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” for a gentleman does not hold fast – or even linger where he is not wanted.

6 Responses to “It is time for Ranil to step down”

  1. PRIYAN WIJEYERATNE Says:

    We want Ranil to be there, because he is the biggest clown in Sri Lanka. He provides us with humour. Let Rail be the opposition leader for ever and ever!!!

  2. Siri Says:

    I agree with Priyan Wijeeyratne. Let us keep Ranil forever as the opposition leader. I believe he is right in believing that there is nobody worth his salt left in the UNP anymore who can replace him. He has forced all the good UNP’s to leave the Party and join the President where they can serve the country better and make it more Prosperous. Who cares whether they are UNP or SLFP if they do good work in the country. The country need s Patriotic citizens and they should get together to help to develop the country. People are not born as UNP or SLFP and nobody carries a brand on their forehead saying UNP or SLFP. Ranil is a good joker and helps the country in his own way with his stupid utterances. Every time Ranil opens his mouth the UNP loses supporters. We should encourage him to stay in Politics forever. This Ponnaya Ranil is the biggest gift God has our President to win elections. Let the idiots in Colombo vote for him. He needs a few votes to be in politics and as long as we have a group of people in Colombo stupid enough to vote for him as the leader of the opposition, the President is going to win every election. God and the Colombians save Ponna Ranil.

  3. Rishard Says:

    Parties get leaders they deserve. What type of a party is the UNP which hasn’t got the mechanism to change its leader. The whole membership should now get together in unison and tell the leader Ranil Wickremasinge just two words ‘ GET LOST’.

  4. Mr. Pol Says:

    I am disgusted with Ranils statements and actions against the nation.

    I am most disgusted with manner in which he tries to camouflage and deny the democratic will and rights of the people through excuses for his own failures at elections which he refuses to acknowledge out of his own Colombian hubris. For this reason I would like to see him contest in 2016 and LOOSE again.

  5. M.S.MUdali Says:

    I do not think Ranil is anti-Sinhala but he is definitely anti-Buddhist because of his family tradition of Christianity. That is why the Buddha statue was thrown out from Sri Kotha.

  6. Sita Perera Says:

    Dear Mareena, your writings are like playing violin in my ears. Keep writing my dear.

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