Is the end nigh for the UNP?
Posted on July 24th, 2013
Michelle Alexander
The United National Party has been affected by another crossover, this time with MP Dayasiri Jayasekara informing that a special statement will be released in Parliament on 24th July, informing of his resignation and that he will contest for the Chief Ministerial Post for the NWP elections on the UPFA ticket, despite statements to the contrary. He may not be the first to do so this time around. In 2007, as many as 18-20 members from the UNP formally joined the Government. This mass defection in 2007 essentially ruptured the main opposition party.
Instead of a strong opposition, what is happening however is the main opposition party, little by little, is falling to pieces, mainly due to internal conflicts, lack of strong leadership, lack of discipline and ethics amongst party members, lack of proper planning, etc. Internal conflicts within the UNP are probably one of the main reasons that give the Government the upper-hand when it comes to attracting members of the Opposition party to join its ranks.
All opposition parties in many areas in the world have gone through a slump at some point or the other. But, considering a series of defeats during past elections, drastic party reforms should have been implemented. Perhaps the reigns should have been passed to a party member capable of winning over more voters to the UNPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cause. In other words, not just someone with brains, but someone with the charisma and oratory skills to convince and sway voters. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What was and is needed are not quick fixes or leadership experiments, but pragmatic, long term plans that would have benefited the party, the citizenry and the country.
But the question to ask this.. even if reforms and changes are brought about now, is it already too late for the UNP? Will we one day see only members like Ranil Wickramasinghe remaining with the party?
July 24th, 2013 at 4:07 pm
MICHELLE ! Ranil needs his job with all the perks. He will be Leader of the Opposition until its time for retirement. By the way, what is the retirement age for Politicians ?
July 24th, 2013 at 5:16 pm
Please guys lets keep Ranil at the top job in the UNP.
UNP is by nature a ANTI-SL party not just Ranil. A weak UNP means a WEAK anti-SL group. A strong UNP means a strong anti-SL group.
A WEAK opposition in SL means MINORATIES cannot become KING MAKERS.
e.g. JRJ time – NO minoraty politician could demand anything!
e.g. CBK time – minoraties RULED
e.g. 2002-2004 UNP time – minoraties RULED
e.g. 2005-2010 – WEAK govt. but WEAKER opposition so no power to minoraties.
We have to think strategically, not just democratically.
July 25th, 2013 at 9:17 am
Lorenzo, you’re correct, although Ranil Master is the number one traitor in UNP he is not the only one. (His signing of the so-called peace (piece) accord with Velu is the most single most treacherous act he did. However, for some unknown reasons, he has cautioned not to talk too much against SL in recent times.
Man-Gala has taken the baton from Ranil and openly discredits Rajapakse’s and also demands the boycotting of Common Wealth meeting to be held in Colombo. Brings the war crimes charges against the SL army. He is also the pioneer of the co-famous Sudhu Nelum moment during Chandrika’s pro-LTTE govt. Makes unsubstantiated and totally untruth statements from time to time to show his presence.
Equally bad is Laksman Perera (Kiriella) who always tries to bring disrepute to SL and its army locally and abroad. Whenever he opens his foul mouth, it makes a lot of damage to the image of SL.
Dr. JJ was a real Sinhala Kotiya but thanks god, he kicked the bucket recently!
Pamankade Ravi is cunning. He doesn’t tarnish the image of SL publicly within the island. But whenever he goes abroad, he tries to bring a lot of disrepute to his mother country. Last year he visited Toronto, Canada and held discussions with Canada’s only Sri Lankan Tamil lady MP and made a statement against SL govt. and the army.
The other traitor is Karu J. From time to time he demands to investigate war crimes against SL army. But his trick is that he tries to show him-self as a true Sinhala, Buddhist leader associating leading Buddhist monks etc.
The only praiseworthy UNPer in recent SL history is the late President D.B.Wijetunge whose historical statement that SL has no ethnic problem but what we have is a terrorist problem goes a long way!
July 25th, 2013 at 9:35 am
Lorenzo, what about Kehelwatte fame Premadhasa’s time? His govt. provided cement, metal and all other materials for the terras to build bunkers against SL Army. In addition, his govt. provided guns and ammunitions to them. Kobbekaduwa Commission revealed how an influential police officer led team delivered 3 truckloads of T56 machine guns to LTTE cadres inside Nedhunkerni jungle in the Vanni.
Premadasa’s ambition was to keep the East cleared from tigers and let Velu run a parallel administration in the North. Despite appeals from patriotic ministers such as Ranjan, Lalith & Gaminie, he kept some tiger sympathies in his administration. The late Mr. Ranjan Wijeratne once said we can’t win this war as long as Paskaralingam is the secretary to the treasury. That is because he deliberately blocked funds required to buy arms, ammunitions and equipment to fight the war against tigers. See Paskaralingam was even higher than Ranjan in Premadhasa’s govt.
July 25th, 2013 at 2:01 pm
Indrajith,
Premathasan was also a WEAK govt. He had only 125 seats – 12 seat majority. Then the Lalith camp lost faith in him and the majority FELL to a dangerous 4 seats.
Then the MINO-RAT-IES started to RULE and started to SLEEP with him!!!
Agree about Wijetunge.
Bastardlingam was a LTTE terrorist.
July 26th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
UnPatriotic Party (UNP) is responsible for the most of the problems we are facing today.
13, 13A Amendments are the handywork of this UnPatriotic party. Nearly gave the country to Sri Lankan hitler prabakaran on a plate. While T M ayawardena (thambi m) and his replacement L K premadasa cosied up to the terrorist outfit but never hesitated for a moment to kill Sinhalese youth. They were just brutal against the Sinhalese youth. R W also did his part in those murderous regimes. Thanks to people having very short memories, these traitors come back and fool them again.
Being in the opposition: the only thing they do is divide the majority and making the minorities rule the country! Look at what mossies doing to the country thanks to this Unpatriotic party. They mulitiply and multiply and get some mps to the parliament and become king makers thanks to this Unpatriotic party. If this Unpatriotic party exists for another 50 years, Sri Lanka will join the former Buddhist countries club of pakisthan, malaysia, indonesia, bangladesh, iran, maldives.
They don’t care about the country at all. The only thing they are interested in is, getting into power. Sooner this traitors disappear from the political arena the better!