Party is above individual, says Thalatha
September 12, 2010 12:58 pm
The group that threatened to sit in the Opposition as an independent group wants to save the United National Party (UNP). It is not against or for any particular individual, said Ratnapura District Parliamentarian Thalatha Athukorale.
This group of UNP Parliamentarians does not want to forcibly oust Ranil Wickremesinghe from the leadership. The UNP has faced enough defeats and should attempt to stop the party from losing more supporters who are disillusioned with the leadership, Ms. Athukorale reiterated.
“We are sure that the President will call for an election in another four years. We have to prepare for it now if we are to win. UNP voters will not be satisfied with their MPs being in the Opposition forever. They want to see a UNP government in power. Our responsibility is towards them and the country,” added the Ratnapura District MP.
When Adaderana asked her what sort of role she envisaged for UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, she said that while Mr. Wickremesinghe is an experienced politician, he should make way for a more dynamic leader to chart a winning course while Mr. Wickremesinghe remains within the party and guides it along – more of an advisory role.
In response to Adaderana’s query whether it should be something like what Dudley Senanayake and J.R. Jayewardene did before 1977, Ms. Athukorale, the sister of former Parliamentarian and UNP General Secretary Gamini Athukorale replied in the affirmative.
Prior to winning the General Elections of 1977 with a thumping five-sixth majority, friction arose between then UNP leader Dudley Senanayake and party senior J.R. Jayewardene. The issue threatened to split the party in two with one faction supporting Mr. Jayewardene and another supporting Mr. Senanayake due to the party’s defeat in the 1971 General Elections when it was reduced to around eight seats in Parliament and Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s United Left Front (ULF) government came into power with a steam roller majority.
Later, the UNP stalwarts reached an amicable settlement where Dudley Senanayake remained as party leader while J.R. Jayewardene became the ‘active’ leader in Parliament and outside, who steered the course for the UNP to return to power in 1977.
The latest ‘reformists’ in the UNP, numbering 25 according to Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera urge their leader to follow a similar course and let a more dynamic personality to guide the political activities of the UNP with their sights firmly on a win at the next General Elections.
