As the main opposition United National Party mulls drastic changes to its leadership structure a decision has been reached to appoint Kegalle district parliamentarian Kabir Hashim the new chairman of the party, sources told Colombo Telegraph.
Kabir Hashim
Current UNP chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera has expressed a willingness to resign to make way for sweeping changes to the party’s list of office bearers.
Hashim is seen as a party man with the capacity to unite factions within the UNP.
His appointment however is unlikely to be made until the leadership council is finalized by the Ranil Wickremasinghe, Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith premadasa trio and agreement can be reached by consensus. Meanwhile sources said UNP MP Ajith Perera is likely to be appointed president of the UNP trade union.
Senerath K / October 20, 2013
Very Good choice.
Kabir is the only one who can smartly maneuver all three.
sure he will do a good job.
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Dude / October 21, 2013
Ranil is shrewd indeed! He has appointed a Muslim to kepp the Buddhist Monks to are demanding his resignation at a distance! Ranil knows that the Monks are the only ones capable of getting him to quit the leadership and hand over the UNP leadership.
This is Mara Ranil in full form – DIVIDE, DISTRACT and RULE – just like Rajapassa!
Ranil has never hesitated to play ethnic politics when it suits him to stay in power- recall how he burned the GL-Thiruchlvam draft for power sharing during CBKs time in Parliament.. Here he goes again. Shameless power-mad Ranil Wirckramasinghe!
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Naqeeb / October 20, 2013
Today need is to put back our vibrant UNP on the track to make sweeping changes in SL and to end this “One family rulers ruine SL”.I wish UNP internal crisis will be resolved soon.
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rohana / October 20, 2013
Kabir is good for the job. Hope he will be a
another ACS Hameed (excellent negotiator during JR’s time)
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percy / October 21, 2013
Kabir is an excellent choice . He could be the future leader of Sri Lanka.Fortunately , we have some talented younger politicians on all sides – Sumanthiran , Semasinghe , Harsha , Eran , Arjuna etc ., who are all men of integrity .
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Dev / October 21, 2013
Arjuna? You mean the cricket captain?
He was a good cricket captain but “demanded” the minster of sports and when he did not get it behaved like a petulant child !
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Fathima Fukushima / October 21, 2013
Worse disaster.
Now UNP will lose the deposit money too at elections.
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Kalu Nangi / October 21, 2013
Good choice….!
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Rohan / October 21, 2013
Yeah, but Sajith seems to be in Rajapakse’s pocket. Karu is tainted because of his party hopping. A party with a great tradition is still soul-searching, mainly due to Ranil’s mindless grip on power. By the way, being a UNP leader may not be characterised as ‘power’ anymore, I reckon!.
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Battichcha / October 21, 2013
It is very nice to have a original unper on the administrative position.
it is very hard to understand what kind of game is playing by pro reformists monks. there are many other unp Buddhist monks live a crossed the country and if they make 6 STRONG proposal to unp asking unp leader to remained as party leader and opposition leader.
1. REMAIN AS THE LEADER OF THE UNP AND OPPOTION LEADER.
2. TAKE TOUGH ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO MAKE TROUBLE WITHING THE PARTY.
3. THOSE WHO LEAKED INFORMATION TO MEDIA SECRECTLY SHOULD BE PUNISHED .
4. THOSE WHO DO NOT FALLOW PARTY POLICIES SHOULD BE REMOVE FROM THE PARTY
5. WHO EVER CRITICIZE THE PARTY LEADER SHOULD BE PUNISHED RGARDLESS OF THEIR POPULARITY.
6. PARTY LEADER SHOULD BE LISTENED TO PROPOSALS OF OTHER BUDDHIST MONKS TOO.
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battichcha / October 21, 2013
kabir hassim should be checked if sajith has genuine education qualifications before he negotiated with him.
R premadasa had kicked out lalith and gamini from unp party.They were not respecting the leader of the party or premadasa did not like educated people around him. Whatever the reason he pushed them out from the unp. But lalith and gamini never beg for leadership of the unp like sajith premadasa.
SO ranil should do the same thing for sajith.
SAJITH IS NOT A QULIFIED PERSON TO BE THE LEADER OF THE UNP
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Dinuk / October 21, 2013
Don’t know about Hashim, but it is high time that Rasy Senanayake was given a top post in the UNP. Women and Media NGOs should be speaking out on the need for women to lead UNP for a change AT THIS TIME.
The UNP claims to be liberal but no women have led the party, or come close to leading the party because it is a boy’s club.. Rosy is strong, intelligent and charismatic and should be given her due place.
Women like Sirimavo and Chandrika have led the SLFP and the country and they were better than most of the useless men who head political parties.. But UNP has never had a woman in its higher ranks..
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Dinuk / October 21, 2013
Sorry wrong spelling – should be Madam Rosy Senanayake!
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anton / October 22, 2013
Dinuk
You hit the nail on the head man , it should definitely be Madam Rosy !
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Max Silva / October 21, 2013
These types of cosmetic changes will not make much of a difference. Ranil is a master in hoodwinking his own part supporters.
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Maithree / October 21, 2013
Kabir is good. But the best should be Imitiaz.
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Padmi Karunamuni / October 21, 2013
Mr. Imithiyaz Marker is so good, no doubt but Ranil and Imithiyaz are not in good terms.
Mr. Kabir Hashim a ‘Royalist’ is the right man because Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe is a pro Royalist and Sajith too a Royalist.
Imithiyaz would certainly feel very much comfortable with Mr. Karu Jayasuriya though.
Lets hope for something good.
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multhazim / October 21, 2013
Very good choice. kabir is the man. He can resolve the crisis.
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multhazim / October 21, 2013
Right choice .Kabir is the man who can resolve the crisis.
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Wickramasiri / October 21, 2013
Get Rukman Senanayake back in to the party.
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Marwan / October 21, 2013
Kabir, we wish you well. We have much respect and hope in your negotiating skills. Now that you have been thrown to the wolves, show them what class you have in you, and we wish you maintain it throughout your political career God willing. Very few amongst your clan (Mr. Imthiaz Bakeer is another) who can still hold their head up high in terms of loyalty to the party and not crossover even when the going was tough, and even though the grass was greener on the other side. The country’s people are waiting earnestly for the Party to sort out its problems and come out on top with fresh thinking and new leadership, to kickass and destine this rubbish cabinet of Ministers lock, stock and barrel to the dustbin of history.
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Yoosuf / October 21, 2013
So the UNP is making progressive step towards re-consiliation within. This could have happen 2 years back. So that we could be living in a better country by now. OR was RW was waiting till all be un-worthy ones to get out (to be cleanced). So that the party could be rewamped.
No doubt the AntonB called him a wily fox at that time !!!!!!!!
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I am Sri Lankan / October 21, 2013
Hope BBS wont refuse to have Muslim in the Sinhala Majority Country.
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gamini / October 21, 2013
Kabir has a lot of promise and potential. I only hope he will uphold Trinity Values unlike the other Trinitians in the Political field who have tarnished the name of Trinity.
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Jehan Usman / October 21, 2013
and he is a Royalist too Gamini.
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The Professional / October 21, 2013
RW’s inhomogeneous right “Royal” choice is a matured, moderate and educated Muslim who knows economics, international relations and also rugger to outsmart NR. Include DM Swaminathan in the Leadership Council to trike a balance or try to woo Justice CV Wigneshwaran to join the UNP and its Leadership Council if RW wants to see re-emergence of real “United National Party”. Aru Thonda’s shelf-life is over. The Tamil youth in plantation districts now look for “inclusive shops” because they are educated and their parents do not want them to toil in plantations. Very soon, unless there is another wave of Indian migration comes, up country watershed forest areas acquired by the British and converted to plantations will be wildlife sanctuaries and new human settlements would have to be planned and developed in mid and low country regions.
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Ceylonese / October 21, 2013
Kabir Hashim is an astute politician and the few left in the country to restore human values and take the UNP to the next level. We wish him well. One cannot never forget his Late Dad’s contribution to the Sri Lankan community as an Ambassador in Arabia. The fruits of his work is appreciated to this day.
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whywhy / October 22, 2013
Another desperate attempt by RW to use somebody else’s
credibility to make bitter peace,buy time and run away
from real issues.The very idea of leadership council
itself is hopeless cowardly step that can easily be
targeted by all political parties as a sign of a party
without a head.Nothing short of a leadership change is
going to bring the party back to its real form and
build confidence in the minds of exhausted party support
base. RW so far flatly avoided responsibility for the
failures of party performances,not only in elections
but also maintaining the trust of the MPs under his
leadership.True,party should be united but again,who
says that bad performance is solely due to internal
clashes?The whole country has been tuned to believe that
RW is not a winner.No doubt the head must roll,this is
not my personal desire,this is what the party needs to
get back to its old days glory.
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Fathima Fukushima / October 22, 2013
Get Fonseka back to lead the UNP.
He won more votes than any UNP leader in history.
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Paisa Must Appah / October 25, 2013
First thing is he will push all the minorities into the sea.
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