UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya today said that everyone has clearly understood after yesterday that the United National Party is a democratic party. The main reason being that a person who had challenged the leadership of the UNP was appointed as the chairman of the leadership council, he said.

Wanting to clarify on any misconceptions, the newly appointed Chairman of the UNP’s leadership council emphasized that he did not ask for the position nor did he propose it. “I was invited and given the post of chairman,” he said.

Jayasuriya stated that he entered the party on an invitation and was appointed as its Deputy Leader also by invitation. He stated that he was bestowed with the responsibility by the working committee and the United Bikkhu Front.  

There can no longer be any fractions within the party and no divisions, the common enemy should be the ruling “oppressive” government, he told reporters in Colombo today. 

“We want to live in the future and not in the past,” he said, adding, that it is their duty to the people who are suffering in this country and even more to handover a democratic country to the next generation, “instead of a country ruled by a dictatorship.”

He stated that various proposals were put forward, however pointed out that it is not possible to obtain 100% on everything all the time and that they had to settle for 70%-80%, which he termed as “a victory”.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, also speaking at the press briefing, stated that the decision reached by the working committee yesterday in appointing the leadership council have received the full blessing and approval of both the United Bhikkhu Front and United National Bhikkhu Front.
 
“We have accepted this as a challenge,” he said. The challenge was handed over to MP Karu Jayasuriya by the working committee with the blessings of leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, he said.

“It was a unanimous decision, not a divided decision,” Attanayake stressed.  

He stated that the ‘United Leadership Council’ will commence its operations immediately. “Therefore it is pointless to keep discussing minor conflicts of opinions, they too can be resolved,” he said, adding, that certain people may have wrong understandings and talk about it, but those too will be discussed and resolved.

Asked whether a change in the party’s leadership had occurred yesterday, the General Secretary responded in the positive while saying that some people want to chase away Ranil Wickramasinghe, however the working committee, United Bhikkhu Front or United National Bhikkhu Front have no such intention. “All they want is for everyone to unite and forget the past.”

A great assistance is required from the leader to carry out this task and Mr Wickramasinghe has pledged to provide that support, he said. The Opposition Leader had said yesterday that he is prepared to unconditionally support every decision taken by the leadership council, chaired by Karu Jayasuriya, the Parliamentarian pointed out. 

Clarifying on MP Sajith Premadasa’s decision to refuse membership in the new council, Attanayake said the Hambantota District MP has been named as a member of the leadership council, however he had mentioned three certain points of concern yesterday.

He said that Mr Premadasa had talked about reaching a decision on that matter and that the United Bhikkhu Front is doing its best to discuss the issue and guide all nine members to a mutual decision.

“So let us allow them to do that without questioning as to who is in and who isn’t,” the UNP General Secretary pleaded.

He stated that Sajith Premadasa’s name was nominated to the leadership council according to a proposal made by the United Bhikkhu Front. Therefore if there are any conflicts of opinion they will be discussed and resolved within couple of days, he assured.