Two of the country’s major political parties are in a serious crisis with just months to go for the parliamentary elections. Worst hit is the United National Party (UNP), now in a lockdown over leadership. Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ceded the post of Opposition Leader to his deputy, Sajith Premadasa and wants to retain the [...]

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UNP, SLFP in shambles ahead of polls

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Two of the country’s major political parties are in a serious crisis with just months to go for the parliamentary elections.

Worst hit is the United National Party (UNP), now in a lockdown over leadership. Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ceded the post of Opposition Leader to his deputy, Sajith Premadasa and wants to retain the leadership. Mr Premadasa wants all or nothing.

The issue formed the subject of a marathon four-hour discussion at the UNP-led National Democratic Front (NDF) parliamentary group on Thursday afternoon. Thirty three MPs spoke, following a resolution moved by party chairman Kabir Hashim to appoint Sajith Premadasa as UNP leader. Those who led the charge on behalf of Mr. Premadasa were Ajith Perera and Harin Fernando. A few staunch backers of Mr Wickremesinghe, mainly party seniors like John Amaratunge, Daya Gamage, Vajira Abeywardene, Ravi Karunanayake, however, argued that he should continue as leader in keeping with the resolution adopted at the party’s convention last year.

Both sides adduced different reasons to support their arguments. Mr Wickremesinghe’s backers insisted if their leader was not to head the party, there should be a triumvirate Leadership Council. That was with Mr Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa and Karu Jayasuriya.

At the end of discussions, some MPs asked for a vote. After heated exchanges on occasions, Mr Wickremesinghe declared that the turnout that day was not adequate to take a decision. Hence, he said, they should meet again on Thursday (January 23) to take a final decision. It is not clear whether he would choose to take a vote on this day.

His emphasis at Thursday’s meeting is for the UNP to have a strategy to win Buddhist votes and Middle Class votes the UNP had lost. Mr. Wickremesinghe said that he had that vote bank in the 2005 presidential election, but lost because of the northern boycott. He said the party had lost that vote bank. That was the rationale behind the move to bring Karu Jayasuriya to a Leadership Council or as head of the Alliance. Mr Premadasa was to retort that as a Buddhist he was equally capable of winning back Buddhist votes. He said he was the party’s presidential candidate and Leader of the Opposition and demanded he be made party leader and the prime ministerial candidate.

Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was a conspicuous absentee from the meeting as he remains abroad.

For the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), now a mere partner in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led alliance, issues have not only cropped up over the Memorandum of Understanding it signed. It has been further exacerbated by a crisis over candidates for the parliamentary elections.

Last Tuesday, electoral organisers were summoned for a meeting at the party’s headquarters at Darley Road in Colombo. It was to be addressed by the leader, former President Maithripala Sirisena. However, the event ended on a hilarious note.

As the organisers gathered, former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who now goes as the patron of the SLFP, entered the premises. Whilst a section of the crowd took selfies, others began jeering. Soon a call arrived at the headquarters that the meeting had been shifted to the Mahagamsekera residence of Mr Sirisena. In hindsight, it became clear it was a mischief maker who had made the call.

Rows of vehicles with the electoral organisers headed to former President Sirisena’s official residence. When they met him, he said, the meeting would be at Darley Road. He got into his vehicle and led a motorcade of organisers. Midway, he received a telephone call that the media personnel were waiting to photograph him. Soon, his security escorts made a diversion.

Mr Sirisena did not attend the meeting. It had to be cancelled.

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