by
Shamindra Ferdinando
An influential section of the UNP is bringing pressure to bear on the party Working Committee to nominate its National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to contest the upcoming presidential election with newly appointed Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, MP, playing a significant role.
Convenor of UNP trade union organisation at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Ananda Palitha yesterday told The Island yesterday that there shouldn’t be a further delay in unanimously naming Wickremesinghe as the UNP candidate.
Responding to a query, Palitha revealed that his union on behalf of trade unions affiliated to the party and others backing Wickremesinghe’s candidature would write to all members of the decision making Working Committee tomorrow (Nov. 21) demanding that the leader be named the UNP’s presidential candidate.
Palitha said: “We expect the Working Committee to declare Mr. Wickremesinghe as the UNP’s presidential candidate. Those who feel for the party are strongly opposed to giving up the Elephant symbol to reach an understanding with other political parties and groups to field a common candidate.”
Asked whether UNP trade union organisation opposed much-touted move to field a common candidate, Palitha said those who wanted to prevent President Mahinda Rajapaksa from securing a third term should back Wickremesinghe. He said all Opposition parties should unite under Wickremesinghe’s leadership.
Had they been really determined to defeat President Rajapaksa, they would never give foolish excuses for joining an alliance led by Wickremesinghe, Palitha said.
Pivithuru Hetak led by JHU MP Ven Athureliye Rathana Thera as well as Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera’s Movement for Just Society campaigning for the abolition of the executive presidency has been working closely with the UNP under Wickremesinghe’s leadership, Palitha said. “On its invitation, Wickremesinghe addressed a rally at Muttiah grounds in Colombo, where the UNP leader pledged to abolish the executive presidency, therefore there cannot be any reason for the joint Opposition not to back Wickremesinghe.”
Commenting on Ven. Girambe Ananda Thera’s demand that Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya be named as the UN presidential candidate, Palitha said that the party shouldn’t give in to threats from any quarters under any circumstances. Having defeated the LTTE over five years ago, President Rajapaksa still remained a formidable candidate and the Opposition should realise that it would have to field the best possible candidate, Palitha said. Recalling MP Jayasuriya switching his allegiance to the UPFA along with 16 other MP s during President Rajapaksa’s first term, Palitha said that the former Deputy Leader always claimed that he had joined the government to strengthen the war against terrorism. Palitha challenged Jayasuriya to explain why he had deserted President Rajapaksa at a crucial phase of the Vanni offensive. Alleging that an attempt was being made to portray Jayasuriya as a war hero, Palitha said that President Rajapaksa couldn’t be deprived of the credit for political leadership given to the war effort and Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s leadership.
Palitha said that Wickremesinghe narrowly lost to the UPFA candidate at the Nov 2005 presidential election due to LTTE interference. Had the LTTE allowed the Tamils to freely exercise their franchise in that poll, the outcome would have been different, Palitha said.
Palitha said that it would be a grave mistake for the Opposition to believe a that common candidate could be the panacea for all its ills. The common candidate project at the last presidential election in January 2010 had been a disaster though major Opposition political parties, including the UNP, JVP, SLMC and the TNA backed Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s candidature. The former army commander lost by a staggering 1.8 mn votes.
The trade union leader appreciated Gen. Fonseka declaring his support for the UNP leader. Palitha was commenting on a statement attributed to Gen. Fonseka at a media conference given by him at his head office at Metiambalama on Tuesday.
Courtesy:The Island