The UNP Leadership Council proposed by a group of monks affiliated with the party were discussed between UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa this afternoon.
The trio will meet again on Monday morning to finalise the proposals to be put before the Working Committee on Monday evening.
Karu Jayasuriya is expected to chair the Council while Wickremesinghe would take the position of Senior Leader.
Both Sajith Premadasa and Ravi Karunanayake will be members of the Council.
The Party General Secretary will also be a Council member.
Once the powers to be delegated to the Council are finalised the UNP will finalise the remaining five members that will sit on the Leadership Council. The Council will comprise 9 members.
Premadasa who has been made public his opposition to Wickremesinghe remaining in the position of Party Leader is presently agreeable to the Council proposals, it is learned.
However some party members expressed fear that Premadasa would attempt to scuttle the process if his preferred associates were not included in the Council. Wickremesinghe told the Colombo Telegraph on October 29 that he had made his position known that he was willing to step down at any point. Wickremesinghe told the UNP Working Committee on October 7 that he was willing to hand over the leadership to anyone who showed the necessary leadership skill and was willing to illustrate that by example. “I am willing to hand the party’s future over to someone who is willing to take the challenge. But I am being asked to remain as a trustee of the party. I took over the leadership of the UNP at a difficult time, when we had suffered an electoral defeat and our leaders had been destroyed by terrorism,” Wickremesinghe is reported as saying to the October Working Committee meeting in the Irida Lankadeepa newspaper.
Citizen / November 1, 2013
It is time to kick out Sajith Premadasa out of UNP and allow room for the cultured and educated.
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Peter Nataliesz / November 1, 2013
Well aside, hope people realize he is not Premadasa.
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Ranil / November 2, 2013
Karu should take over leadership with Rosy Senanayake as his deputy.
UNP needs a smart, intelligent and Charismatic woman to lead it and turn around its fortunes..
Karu needs to groom an intelligent and educated second generation leadership and GET rid of Sajith Premadasa and his brain dead advisers and goons.
Sajith is a lying MORON and thieving treasure hunter. He said he had a degree from LSE – but does not – He should join RajaFuksa who is as uneducated..
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Janaka / November 2, 2013
Bottom line, shameless Ranil Wickramasighe MUST go!
He has almost killed the UNP and collaborated with Rajapassa tacitly to kill Democracy in Lanka – in his GREED for power and greed to stay as head of UNP having lost 28 elections..
Karu should take over as HONEST CUSTODIAN of the party – Rosy as Deputy is a very good idea.
Sajith is a lying moron and just plain STUPID and brainless and has not place in the UNP!
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Maithree / November 2, 2013
He is not qualified to be a leader. I too believe that its time to get rid of this man as he is a real cancer to UNP.. Anyway, Ranil should step down as he got angry with so many UNP leaders and brought the party to the present situation. Though Karu went to strengthen MR’s arms, give him the leadership as a trial.
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Banda / November 2, 2013
What about Man-gala and the kurudu kolu gang?
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Punchi Manike / November 2, 2013
They would get close to you, because you seem to have not grasped it YET even being a 70 year old man from Horana.
You would not do the job of licking work than anyone else would do – so go for it :)
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arjun aruliah / November 2, 2013
We need to have the Sennanaykes back.
The Party needs to bring Rukman back.
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Maithree / November 2, 2013
Thats the end of the party. Rukman is a dump.
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Douglas / November 2, 2013
What a “FARCE” is this? I remember long years ago when the LSSP,CP,MEP and some other left parties decided to join in a “United Front” to fight the then Government, they could not decide as to who should be the Leader of the “Front”. So what they did was to establish a “PRESIDIUM” and appointed Dr. N.M.Perera; Phillip Gunawardane and Dr. S.A.Wickramasinghe to lead the FRONT. Within months the “Presidium” cracked and collapsed. That was the end of the “UNITED FRONT” of the Left Parties. I believe this happened in the 1960s.
So, Ranil.Karu,Sajith(Sajith you had better refer the history books and learn) have your thoughts directed to compare the “PRESIDIUM” formed by the United Left Front in the 1960s with that of your proposed “LEADERSHIP COUNCIL of 2013”.
Mark my words: your LEADERSHIP COUNCIL will be the most hilarious and mockery of the 21st century.
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Battichcha / November 2, 2013
Ranil should be the leader of the unp for next 10 to 15 years.
Then leadership should be handover to Ruwan wijewardane.
DURING THIS TIME SAJITH SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED ON AT LEAST HOW TO PASS THE O/L EXAM.
IT IS VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND A PERSON WHO WANTED TO BE A LEADER OF THE UNP AND THEN LEAD THE COUNTRY PUBLISH FALES INFORMATIONON LINE THEN TO THE WHOLE WORLD SAYING THAT HE HAD ECONOMIC DIGREE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE DIGREE.
WHO IS GOING TO BELEAVE THIS SAJITH PREMADASA. I DONOT THINK THAT ANYONE WHO HAD SAT FOR GCE O/L EXAM ACCEPT THIS MAN AS A LEADER OF THE COUNTRY.
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MrRetort / November 2, 2013
Yes after another five years you can liquidate UNP and auction it for manure. Battichas can come and feed on the left bones.
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Battichcha / November 2, 2013
I think sajith should published his o/l results very soon.
[Edited out]
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Safa / November 2, 2013
The committte should comprise of elected representatives with the mandate of the people, not those chosen by RW or Sajith. Merit and hard work should be the criteria.
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Kondiris Appu / November 2, 2013
Enough is enough. Please don’t give me another Dasa; Even one with bogus LSE certificates. A Ranil anyday is more cultured and respectable. So, give me a Ranil,even if it is a Batalanda one.
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Kali / November 2, 2013
Leadership Council or whatever this whole thing would only serve as just a political shock absorber used by the political survivor RW. With each wave of turmoil and conspiracy RW has gained more experience and got tempered and annealed. He has guarded the party from disintegrating and absorbed all the blames and shocks. I don’t think any politician in the whole world has ever done such a yeoman service to his party as RW. Majority of people in the country do not possess the advanced state of mind that RW and lesser majority do. That is why the majority do not understand the value of RW and believe the falsehood propagated by the rogue regime and media rags. But ultimately there will dawn a period when the destruction they caused unto themselves through MR will knock on their own doors and would have to recourse to RW for saving their lives. After all this country is a country of bastards and they richly deserve a pathetic leader like MR.
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Yama / November 2, 2013
Leadership Council or whatever this whole thing would only serve as just a political shock absorber used by the political survivor RW. With each wave of turmoil and conspiracy RW has gained more experience and got tempered and annealed. He has guarded the party from disintegrating and absorbed all the blames and shocks. I don’t think any politician in the whole world has ever done such a yeoman service to his party as RW. Majority of people in the country do not possess the advanced state of mind that RW and lesser majority do. That is why the majority do not understand the value of RW and believe the falsehood propagated by the rogue regime and media rags. But ultimately there will dawn a period when the destruction they caused unto themselves through MR will knock on their own doors and would have to recourse to RW for saving their lives. After all this country is a country of bastards and they richly deserve a pathetic leader like MR.
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Athula / November 2, 2013
“Willing to step down” ? Still not sure – evenaccording to your own words –
‘You are talking of the Westminster system. The first thing is that when a leader loses the election, that leader should step down and a new leader should take over. Firstly your leader has not resigned. In this period look at the (British) Labour Party. Mr Callaghan resigned. Mr Michael Foot resigned; Mr Neil Kinnock resigned. What has happened to the SLFP? That is the First, you must face the situation. Have a new leadership. Have a new set of policies. Then if you are beaten you can go into the matter. Hon Deputy Speaker, we cannot wish for a better Opposition than the Opposition there is now. This is the Best Opposition we can have. We like you, we want you to stay in this place. You cannot face up to the fact that the people do not want you and that you have been thrown into the dustbi
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Max Silva / November 2, 2013
Nothing will cure the UNP.It’s on a life supporting machine.Fonseka will dismantle the life supporting machine of the UNP at the up coming WPC elections.As a matter of respect lets all get together at the Kanathe and perform the last rites.I am sure that the defeated Tamil terrorists,Solheim,Nava neetham Pillay etc will mark their presence.
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Dr.Rohan Perera / November 2, 2013
Majority of UNP supporters in the outstations dislike Ranil due to his arrogance and his poor leadership qualities. He should step down and make way for Sajith or a person with equal popularity if UNP is to survive. The Leader needs to be more dynamic than our present president if UNP is to win the next election
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Punchi Manike / November 2, 2013
I never thought I WOULD ever join UNP. But as antiMR srilanken continuously living on the west, but being well allert lanken situations, I would even join JVP, SF, UNP or anyone today, if they would work together against the brutal Rajas. All what we want – need of the hour- is to get rid of MR by any means. MR and UPFTA are like a deadly cancer to the nation. Longer we wait, they would even take all of our lands telling us some thing palatable.
I have the feeling many would feel the way I do. Right at the moment, with no rule of law, no respect and dignity of life, no proper crime investigations for even highly crime murders like Deraniyagala, Waragoda MP killing or not forgetting that HAMBANTOTA british tourist murder… all these are the great example to any one who is interested in to tknow whether the justice is done for anyone of them.
In my child hood (3 decades ago), I know people did not have today kind materials to comfort themselves, but we enjoyed ourselves FULL respect in the society. Elders were respected by younger ones, buddhist monks and the counterparts of muslims and cathelics were respected higly… there we also had a cultured (100% respectful, cultrued, mannered) society. I did not even argue with my parents or elders then. Today, it has changed a lot – perhaps.. lot to bad… young ones would not even talk to their own parents. They onlycommuniticate wiht their electronic gadgets. Many among village parents feel that their kids are doing well, but the reality is they have been caught by the other end of the progress of life.
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Horikadey / November 3, 2013
We may agree with Dr. Rohan Perera it is time for Ranil to step down.
But Sajith as alternative?? No way. He has shown no leadership, lacks
experience even to be considered a Minister even in Sri Lanka where ministerial standards are dismal and comes from a poor background. I agree UNP has no decent leadership as things stand. Worse coming to worse, Ranil is any day my reluctant choice compared to the son of Dematagoda Hema and Keselwatte Preme.
Horikadey
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Lion / November 3, 2013
Dr. Rohan what are you talking have you forgotten the era of Premadasa.We opened our mouth only to eat and brush our teeth at that time. Hema was a leading figure at Maharajahas during that time.Sajith is claiming to bring back that era where sothhi upali and all sought of thugs ruled this country.Maharajahas want to bring back Sajith in to power and get every thing done through him. Role played by Sirasa is a testimony of their intentions.Sirasa,s behavior is a shame to the free media. At last I wont say now its better under Rajapaksha clan who is the worst thug and a despot.Can UNP change this rule? I don’t think so.We must have honest leader whose preaches are matched by his deeds to fallow.
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watey ranil / November 2, 2013
Leadership Council is an admission of Ranil’s failure, Kim Jong Ranil must leave UNP leadership and sit in the backbench.
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Kudabalage / November 2, 2013
Ranil should never let Sajith p to lead the party. He should install true democratic leadership election process in the party and let those who believe that lead the country to contest for the leadership. And permitting party membership to have the final say. Then of course Sajith P, unenlightened son of the killer Premadasa will be dumped by the people will have a natural death.
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hamas / November 2, 2013
no one can uplift the unp now as itis on his last legs.RW has no PR and does not want to speak to people.In that way Sajith is better but he not matured for leadership.Ravi and Rosy are not national figures.Atleast a leader should be in a possition to win his seat.Winning Colombo is no achievement.On the whole unp has no future.
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / December 17, 2013
He was educated at St. Thomas Prep and Royal College. He is a gentleman of the highest calibre. He was the son of a man of greatness. President Premadasa legistlated on Productivity. He believed in the optimal use of labour.
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