The UNP Working Committee has decided to appoint a Leadership Board to make decisions on the party’s future course of action.
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed that former Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya be appointed to head the new Board.
A decision has also been made based on an proposal by UNP MP Kabir Hashim that Jayasuriya be invited to accept membership in the Working Committee
The board will report to the Party’s Working Committee.
UNP MP Sajith Premadasa who is leading the challenge against Wickremesinghe’s leadership has requested time from the Working Committee to mull over the new restructuring proposals.
However Working Committee members had urged him to make a spot decision since the entire UNP was hoping for a decision from them today.
Premadasa asked for time to “consult” with PC members and other UNP supporters.
However Wickremesinghe intervened and said the Working Committee had put proposals to him and he had decided on the spot despite that. “I am the one who will give up some of my powers as leader, so I should be the one with the problem,” Wickremesinghe said.
Thus coerced, Premadasa had ultimately agreed. WIckremesinghe will take a step back and allow the new Board to make decisions on the party’s future. Some of the powers accrued to the UNP Leader will be transferred to the new board.
Wickremesinghe, Premadasa and Jayasuriya are to meet later this week to discuss the formula on which the new board will operate.
srilal / October 8, 2013
RW , will you be the opposition leader again ? please stay back and let karu handles the opposition , as long as you stay as the opposition leader majority of voters will stay away from voting !
why can’t you let go for the sake of country , what is the difference between you and MR , both are inherently greedy for power , Mr Wicramasinhe no cosmetic surgery would do , cancer must be removed, period !
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Percy Jilmart / October 8, 2013
@ Srilal
The cancer is not Ranil but MR and his despotic family. Since Chandrikas time, the media has been used to great effect to bastardise and make Ranil look like a traitor to the masses. The 2005 presidential election was lost by only some 1,80,000 odd votes, all because that crook MR bribed the LTTE.
Ever since then, using bribes and threats of court cases over corruption, MR got all the opportunists and crooks in the UNP to crossover. The media again fooled the people into thinking that the crossovers were Ranils fault.
After WW2 the British voters rejected Churchill because they had enough brains to realise that even though WC was a good wartime PM, he might not necessarily be a good peacetime PM. Our idiots on the other hand, drunk with the war victory gave that crook MR a ‘kroothaguna’ vote. Since then many educated people realised their mistake. The people in towns know how crooked MR and his family are and they will come out in numbers to vote even though they might not vote during PC elections. Its only the rural yakkos who need to be convinced. After Goatas fiasco with BBS and the terror unleashed on kovils, churches and mosques the minorities too will vote against MR. Ranil might not be the next presidential candidate, but blaming him for every election loss is just a ploy of MR, his sycophants and the servile media.
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srilal / October 8, 2013
Percy Jilmart ,
you know what , i firmly believe RW has won both 1999 and 2005 presidential elections , regrettably VP blocked his rightful place in both occasions , that is history , but as a country SL must move forward , all intelligent people in SL agree what you have stated above , there are no questions about RW’s strategies and visions up until 2005 , but after 2005 RW has become obsolete and desperate , thus he has been trying to cling on to the official post at any cost , how would you rate his performance in 18 th Amendment fiasco , General SF’s case, CJ impeachment and many more .. people are not that stupid , you know !
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Truth / October 8, 2013
If this news report is true, it is a wise course of action. The absence of woman in this committee is a significant weakness. The obvious choice to fill this vacancy is Rosy Senanayake.
They should function like the executive directors of a company and initially meet once a fortnight. These meetings should be chaired by Ranil Wickramasinghe as the non-executive chairman of the party. Perhaps Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne and Mangala Samaraweera should be appointed as non-executive members of the working committee. Such a structure will pave the way for the revival of UNP.
Best Wishes to the new UNP Working Committee.
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Jayantha palihakkara / October 8, 2013
Very good…….!
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yusibrahi / October 8, 2013
Sagith P is part of the problem and not the solution.The UNP can bend backwards to accomadate him but he will back stab the leader whether it is Ranil or karu.He is not Presedential material and will not get the support of TNA/CWC/SLMC.A unp candiate without the votes of the minorities will not get the 50% +1 at the Presedential polls.
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Citizen / October 8, 2013
I think Sajith Premadasa is too avaricious to become a leader without realizing the ground situation in the country. Like Wimal Weerawansa, he too is a curse for the UNP as well as for the country. His father too made democracy a mockery. It was during his father’s period that several thousands of Sinhalese youths were killed on the pretext of JVP’s subversives. It is the people who has to be cautious. The Tamils have already sent the signal to elect people of the calibre of C.V.Wigneswaran among the Sinhalese which will be good for the future of Sri Lanka. One should not forget that it is Ranil Wickremasinghe who never hesitated to resign no sooner he lost the election.
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Ben Hurling / October 8, 2013
What a tragic comedy the UNP has become.
All these people are driven by a sickening self-interest. And greed for power. Rather than love of country or people they are supposed to serve.
Above statement is true for most powerful monkeys in the SLFP as well.
If rumours are true even TNA is feeling the power of self-interest after the PC election victory. They are now enguaged in endless bickering for plum minesterial posts.
God save Sri Lanka and all her people from politicians.
Cheers!
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shankar / October 8, 2013
Good on the 3 of them.At last they have realised that the barrier to clear is not within but outside,namely the formidable rajapakshe brothers.To take on the 4 of them there must be at least 5 on this leadership board and all should have equal powers and voting rights.
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batticha / October 8, 2013
Sir, it is very important keep the switch on your hand.
because it is very hard to trust these people.
it is very hard to BELEAVE that sajith had gone to SIRICOTHA TO work with NAPUNSAKAYO AND AWAJATHAKAYO.
NOW ON SAJITH SHOULD BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH WHAT HE SPELL OUT FROM HIS MOUTH.
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Dr.R.De. Seneviratne / October 8, 2013
It is high time that Ranil, Sajith and other party seniors put aside personal animosities and differences aside and work together to restore the Grand Old Party to its former glory. They owe it to people like us who have supported the party at all times in good times as well as bad.For Gods sake, unite and work together and chase out the corrupt ruling family home for good.
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Athula / October 8, 2013
Sajith – vacilative, indecisive and without the essential spheres. He had all the right to seek advice on a proposal thrust to him with no notice. Bullied by even Ranil who has no leg to stand on – one would laugh if it was not so sad.
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Danno Danithi / October 8, 2013
The United National Party has fast acquired the reputation of
becoming the one that is insulting the intelligence of their
votes/supporters/well wishers all the time.
Now comes the news of a new Leadership Council. First to its
constituents – Sajith Premadasa, one who is fighting tooth and
nail asking napunsakayas to name him the Presidential candidate.
The other is Karu Jayasuriya, who betrayed Ranil Wicmrekesinghe
on two occasions. First was when he walked out to get Government
plums with 17 UNP MPs. Second is when he contested Ranil who forgave
him and made him the leader.
Ask even a three wheeler drive and he will tell you both Sajith
and Karu never trust Ranil. On the other hand, Ranil does not
trust the two of them but has no choice now.
He says he will confer some powers on the two. These powers are not
not stored in gallon tanks or in sackfuls to be distributed in some
measure. If RW gives on, he will hold back two more.
So this is nothing short of musical chairs. I know Sajith will NOT ever
accept a place in the leadership Council. Karu Jayasuriya will not say
anything. He wants to cling on to something or the other without sinking politically. If that happens, he will be the scapegoat for the next defeat of the UNP. RW can say ask the Council head. Karu will not be able to answer. He would have lost Gampaha too!!!
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Max Silva / October 8, 2013
Another stunt by the born looser.
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gamini / October 9, 2013
Max without trying to put other’s houses in order with your cent’s worth, why don’t you mind your F…..g Business, of your own and MR? What is well noticeable is your type of character who wants RW out more than a few Corrupt UNPs led by Sajaith supported by Maharajah & Co.
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Sri lankan / October 8, 2013
Let Ranil step down first. Then the party can elect a leader. The change is important
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Bob Marley / October 8, 2013
Oh Please, Ranil and Karu are one of a kind… two puppets…. UNP will continue to sink as long as these puppets cling on desperately to power….they are the most shameless leaders ever born to this country….
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Namal Perera / October 8, 2013
In democratic Countries the party Leaders quit after loosing just one Election. Since democratic Sri Lanka was turned into a corrupt lawless Banana Republic with jungle law and a President for life, may be the leader of the Opposition too is following the same.
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Upul / October 8, 2013
Seriously, we all have to be retarded or fit for mental asylums. The UNP as a party is FINISHED!!! They have not cultivated a grassroots level operation in the last 15 years and therefore do not have the leadership resources except the ‘thugs-on-hire’ groups that are available to the highest bidder come election time.
Sajith Premadasa will not and cannot win Hambantota for the UNP, if his life depended on it. Karu Jayasuriya cannot win shit either. Ravi Karunanayake and his ilk survive on mere name recognition and the elephant symbol ( the loyalty vote)
How many educated professionals has the UNP attracted in the last 10 years or so? ( I beg to exclude the lawyers, because they are a dime a dozen! ) Where are the doctors, engineers, accoountants and teachers that use to form the backbone of the party since independence?
Now to get a nomination you need to carry a stick and paste some posters. When the next elections comes, you are on the list !!!!
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yusibrahi / October 8, 2013
Upul, unfortunately for the country the voter is not looking for professionals.The first three in preferential votes at the last General elections in the Colombo district were “Hon” Wimal Weerawansa(O.L)Duminda Silva (no Level)and Thilanga (Casino guy)Milinda Moragoda and Rohitha Bogallagama-two half decent politicians were last on the list and not elected.
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MNZ / October 8, 2013
As one commentator has said Sajith is part of the problem, and not the solution.
He is a man in indecent hurry with his faux degree from LSE, throwing money hither and thither at temples and other “worthy causes” only for the purpose of garnering cheap publicity and to create the myth that he is a ‘people’s man’ in the mould of MR.
Unfortunately, trying to compare Sajith’s PR skills with that of MR is akin to chalk and cheese!
Karu sadly burnt his boats when he started the rot by going over to MR with 16 other MPs. He only returned to the fold because he was licking his wounds after crossing swords with the MR siblings.
If Karu had been able to persuade Ranil to support the war effort his history could have been different.
Ravi, Mnagala and Tissa are mere Ranil lackeys singing for their supper and do not deserve recognition at all. They are man-servants at best.
Ruwan, who is RW’s kinsman is cunningly biding his time, and like Sajith doing his own bit to climb the hierarchical ladder by accelerated promotion.
Only a person with unquestionable integrity and potential would be able to resurrect the UNP which is now in intensive care.
In the circumstances one should perhaps think “outside the box” and seriously consider real professionals like Harsha and Eran to take on higher responsibilities with a view to resurrecting the party as soon as possible.
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