by Zacki Jabbar
A triumphant UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe having secured a new six year term at yesterday’s 54th annual convention, held at Sirikotha called for a halt to the infighting and unity among the membership to oust what he termed the corrupt and dictatorial Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.
A vote taken among the membership to amend Article 8.1 of the Constitution, enabling the Leader to serve a six year term instead of seeking re-election annually, resulted in 4,978 raising their hands in favour and 337 opposing it.
The outcome strengthened Wickremesinghe’s powers since he can now appoint the party Chairman in addition to the General Secretary and Treasurer. The amendment also gives him the authority to nominate members from the National Executive Committee for the posts of Deputy Leader, Assistant Leader and National Organiser. A vote will be taken only if more than one third of the Working Committee members proposed any other names.
Among those who opposed the amendment were the Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, Karu Jayasuriya, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Rosy Senanayake, Thalatha Athukorale, Dayasiri Jayasekera and Sujeewa Senasinghe. In a marked contrast to last years incidents during polls to elect the office bearers, when stones were hurled at “Srikotha” by some members of the rebel group causing extensive damage to property, yesterday’s proceedings could be described as one of the most peaceful in recent years.
It was held amidst unprecedented security provided jointly by the UNP and the State which included the Special Task Force. Security personnel of individual MP’s were permitted entry but minus their firearms, which had been withdrawn by the Ministerial Security Division only for yesterday.
The Convention also adopted a resolution entitled “Radical Programme”, to transform the UNP from a right of center party to a Socialist party, so that it could serve the people better. It was noted that the SLFP was no longer a center left party and was even more capitalist than the UNP had been, while the JVP was not strictly adhering to its founders’ Marxist ideology.
Sajith Premadasa, in his address said that he was totally opposed to the leader being elected once in six years instead of annually. However, he pledged to support Wickremesinghe as the UNP’s candidate at the next Presidential Election.
“If Mr.Wickremesinghe does not contest the next Presidential poll, then I will stake a claim as not only as the UNP’s candidate,but also as party leader”,he noted.
A common theme echoed by Wickremsinghe, Premadasa,Tissa Attanayake, Ravi Karunanayake and Daya Gamage was for unity, the need to realize that the common enemy was the corrupt and dictatorial Rajapaksa government which must be ousted.
Wickremesinghe,said that the economy was in dire straits while the law and order situation had irretrievably broken down. The only option left was regime change and it should be done speedily if democracy was to be preserved.
While the country’s wealth was being plundered, crime has reached frightening levels with children and women being raped and killed. A female can no longer walk alone on the streets in the evening. She would not only be attacked but also relieved of her valuables, he observed.
Wickremesinghe said that instead of reducing the cost of living and providing relief to the long suffering masses, the Rajapaksa regime was engaged in launching satellites and providing tax free racing cars for the super brats.
General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that the Rajapaksa regime had lost direction and did not know what it was doing. Each of its coalition partners were pulling in different directions.
Having criticized the UNP for implementing capitalist policies, the 2013 budget had gone to the extent of providing duty free sports cars for the elite, while the vast majority of people were fighting an uphill battle just to stay alive.
National Organiser Daya Gamage said that those who had threatened to throw him out were left to eat their own words.
The government was selling the country’s silver, but despite all that, the debt burden continued to rise, resulting in future generations being mortgaged for eternity, he observed.
Gamage, said that Ranil Wickremesinhe had served the people and not robbed state resources unlike a select lot among the current leaders.
Colombo District Chairman Ravi Karunanayake said that he had always been discriminated against, but continued to work in the overall interest of the party.
“I have time and again been deprived of my due place. But it’s not for me to go and beg for positions. I have worked very hard, established the most number of branches and also addressed a record number of public meetings, he said adding “I am not a former Presidents son, but my family has gone to jail and even sacrificed their lands in the battle against the ruling party.”
However, Karunanayake ended on a conciliatory note calling on both Wickremesinghe and Premadasa to work together to restore democracy, and law and order and provide the masses with a better life.COURTESY:SUNDAY ISLAND