By Charles.S.Perera

UNP is in shamble, as usual Ranil Wickramasinghe is on his erratic path of finding means to defeat the government and send the President home. He had been at it from the time he became the Leader of the Opposition, and he will continue until the cows come home if he manages to keep his leadership role in a party whose members seem to have lost interest in the party, the leader of which fatigues them with his political antics, walking in circles with complete lack of ideas.

Batalanda torture chambers, and the Millennium safe house betrayal follow Ranil Wickramasinghe like his shadow . He did not try to stop terrorism but he tried to accommodate terrorists giving them the assurance of safety to develop their terrorist capabilities with a CFA prepared by Norway in collaboration with the terrorist leader. He was ably supported by his Secretary Bradman Weerakoon who helped Norway to transport without control by the customs, directly to the terrorists, containers containing modern communication equipment and other unknown items, without even road checks. He started peace negotiations with the terrorists, allowing the Norway Mediator to put the terrorists on an equal footing with the government by giving the terrorists Military ranks and making one of them a political head, another Head of the Police Force, and some others as spokesmen for the terrorists. Negotiations he started with the terrorists gave them more power, and allowed them to build a military force stronger than that of the Government.

Eventually through his short sighted actions he enabled the terrorists to have a provisional government in the territories in their control under the provisions of the CFA, with a police force, courts, tax collectors and even banks. Ranil Wickramasinghe is not a patriotic political leader. He cared less for the country and its people, his only desire was to become the Chief Executive of Sri Lanka- the President. In order to realize that dream he was ready even to share the country with the terrorists. In 2001 having won the General Elections Ranil Wickramasinghe formed the UNF Government of which he became the Prime Minister, under the President Chandrika Kumaratunga . He was a predominantly a pro-western politician. Even though his foreign policies allowed him to show an economic benefit, he projected himself as the real leader pushing the President in to the back ground.

He reduced the President to a mere ceremonial nomenclature. He was making every possible move to take over the powers of the President of Sri Lanka. Fortunately for Sri Lanka, the President Chandrika Kumaratunga finally found the courage in the absence of Ranil Wickramasinghe in the country, to sack three ministers and take over the Ministries. She thereafter dissolved the Parliament thus putting an end to Ranil WickramasingheƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s destructive political moves. Ranil Wickramasinghe thought he would be able to re-conquer the political powers that eluded him under the President Chandrika Kumaratunga at the following Presidential elections. But unfortunately for Ranil Wickramasinghe and fortunately for Sri Lanka in the 2005 Presidential elections, the people elected Mahinda Rajapakse. That was the end of RanilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ambition to take the Presidential chair. However, he became the Leader of the Opposition. From the day one of his being elected the leader of the Opposition he was acting with a mind made up for utter vengeance without any intention of cooperating with the elected President Mahinda Rajapakse, refusing to cooperate with him in any of his projects in the interest of the country and its people.

Even with Chandrika Kumaratunga Ranil Wickramasinghe refused to cooperate with her in her attempts to settle National issues. When he was invited to discuss the political package she was to propose to the terrorists as a preliminary to a peace settlement, he refused to participate in the discussions. In 2005 the Governments changed and Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse was elected President of Sri Lanka. Ranil Wickramasinghe became the Leader of the Opposition . But he continued his negative approach of non cooperation with the President Mahinda Rajapakse as it had been with the President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Every action Ranil Wickramasinghe took since 2005, as the Leader of the Opposition was to oppose all political moves of the President Mahinda Rajapakse. He was out to make the President unpopular, taking every opportunity to gather his collaborators around him to make noisy press conferences and manifestations. He did not cooperate with the President in any of his actions which was beneficial to the country and the people. He was critical of the Military operations against the terrorist. He with his followers Tissa Attanayake, Ravi Karunannake, Laksman Kiriella and the rest mocked the Army Commander and the Armed Forces belittling their victories against the terrorists. Every funeral of a journalist or a Tamil leader assassinated by unknown criminals were made an occasion for a manifestation against the Government, he himself participating in them.

He did nothing positive worthy of a Leader of the Opposition that would make the ordinary people accept him as an honourable political leader fit to be a President some day in the future . In developing countries the role of the Opposition is not to be critical of the activities of the Government, but to make constructive criticism and cooperating with the government in the matters of National interest. Ranil Wickramasinghe refused to participate in the All Party Representative Committee. He refused to come before the LLRC. He never participated in the Independent Day Celeberations. Each time he was invited to these celebrations he left Sri Lanka to India. When the GSP+ was withdrawn he did not appeal to the EU along with the Government for the reconsideration of the withdrawal. He was absent at the opening of the Hambantota Harbour. When the terrorists were finally eliminated on the 18 May, 2009, he did not as the Leader of the Opposition call on the President of Sri Lanka to felicitate him on behalf of the UNP. He did not participate in the Victory Celebrations following the elimination of terrorists having left Sri Lanka to either visit Europe or India. Ranil Wickramasinghe did not change even at the end of the first five years of the Presidency of Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse. When the Presidential elections were due, he thought the best trump to defeat Mahinda Rajapakse was to Present the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as the rival Presidential candidate to Rajapakse.

He therefore proposed Sarath Fonseka to contest as the common Candidate of the political parties opposed to Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse lead by UNP despite the fact that he was a bitter critic of the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka during the military operations against the terrorists. Ranil Wickramasinghe did not fail to take up any oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cause provided it is against the President and the Government, to exaggerate its importance and call a press conference to defend the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-causeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and blame the government. When the University lecturers threatened to resign if their demand of higher salaries was not met the UNP immediately took up their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-causeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, appointing Kabir Hashim MP, as the Convenor of a UNP Committee to study the developing situation in Universities. This UNP convener told a news conference in Colombo that the UNP would be meeting the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) to discuss their grievances and demands. “We will identify the problems faced by the lecturers and act on their behalf, both in and outside parliament”, he said. The UNP when in power never proposed a pensions scheme for the Private Sector. But now the Government of the President Mahinda Rajapakse has proposed such a pensions scheme for the first time in the history of Independent Sri Lanka, UNP has come forward to oppose it and warn the government of UNP staging a mass public protest against the proposal.

The latest cause Ranil Wickramasinghe has taken up is against the GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Leadership training programme for the new entrants to Universities. Ranil will continue his anti-government ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-projectsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ like a bull in a China shop. It will take a long time for him to understand that those tactics of his will help neither the UNP nor the Country, and least of all himself. He continues his non cooperation with the government and continues opposition to every undertaking of the government without giving any credit to any of the GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s progressive development projects. When the now infamous Ban Ki Moon Advisory Panel report- the so called Darusman report was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-illegallyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ published by UNSG, the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe who instead of joining with the President to condemn it, did not make even a statement against it, other than appointing Bradman Weerakoon to examine the report and make his recommendations. But on the other hand the young UNP Member from Kurunegala Dayasiri Jayasekara was the first to condemn it and as a true patriot say that the UNP should work together with the government against allegations leveled against the country in the report on Sri Lanka prepared by the UN panel of experts.

Dayasiri Jayasekara further added as a true leader of the UNP should have , that party rivalries needed to be cast aside when facing allegations leveled against the country by the UN panel of experts. Dayasiri Jayasekara has showed true qualities of leadership, and being a young politician of the people he appears to be a better politician to lead the UNP, than Ranil Wickramasinghe who is stepping away from the masses to seek his own ambition to become one day the President of Sri Lanka. A young politician like Dayasiri Jayasekara will be a better leader in all respects to lead the UNP in place of Ranil Wickramasinghe. Sajith Premadasa though he is vociferous about reforms to the UNP, and demands that Ranil Wickramasinghe should step down at press conferences and at meetings, he seem to be weak kneed in the presence of Ranil Wickramasinghe, and the UNP Working Committee . Therefore, Sajith Premadasa is weak political aspirant for the leadership of the party, and if selected will not be able to give UNP the necessary political force. The UNP pro-reform group is handicapped having Sajith Premadasa as its leader. To oust Ranil Wickramasinghe and carry out radical reforms in the UNP, there should be a better politician than Sajith Prelmadasa to turn ideas to action, to lead the pro-reform group of the UNP.

Dayasiri Jayasekara is a very strong voice in the pro-reform group and his leader ship would be more effective to out manoeuvre Rani Wickramasinghe and the UNP old guards.