PM rallies UNP for next election

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe focused on the May Day rally as a step in the United National Party’s (UNP) preparation for upcoming elections, noting party reforms are aimed at establishing a UNP government for the next twenty to thirty years.

Addressing the UNP May Day rally on Sunday, held under the theme “New energy for matured leadership” at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, he recalled the industrialisation of Sri Lanka, which was pioneered by former UNP leaders. Wickremesinghe emphasised that the UNP, more than any other party, could lay claim to establishing an educated, gainfully employed middle class in Sri Lanka.  

He pointed out that diversifying Sri Lanka into a manufacturing and services economy and the establishment of new sectors, especially apparel, was directly due to the efforts of the UNP. Setting up free trade zones, attracting foreign investors and creating freely accessible education were all the result of policy efforts of the UNP, he said.

 Wickremesinghe indicated this economic revolution was what allowed the masses to prosper and create an environment where low unemployment and good living standards were the norm.  

He pointed out that the SLFP, particularly under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, failed to provide the same direction to the economy, instead leading it down a protectionist and high-debt path. It was the return of the UNP to power through the Coalition Government in 2015 that put the country back on a macroeconomic stabilisation route, enabling Sri Lanka to face high debt repayments from next year, while still developing the country.   

Acknowledging the set back  at the recent Local Government elections, Wickremesinghe was nonetheless optimistic of steps taken since then by the Government to implement new policies and achieve its goals of economic development. The Prime Minister was also extremely confident in the efforts to reform the UNP by appointing younger members to top positions, noting that reforming its rank and file would rejuvenate the party and give it the momentum needed to successfully face upcoming elections. 

“We will streamline the party mechanism to win future elections. We had a setback during the Local Government Election, but we will address our concerns. We have already appointed a new group of leaders and second contingent will be selected soon. Through reforms we must create a party that has the capacity to stay in power for the next twenty to thirty years,” Wickremesinghe said. 

Wickremesinghe also called on all UNP members to work together, insisting that a united UNP could still prevail in the next Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. He also noted that policy adjustments on Government poverty programs could be changed to make them more effective. In the latest Cabinet reshuffle, Samurdhi fell to the UNP and the Prime Minister remarked that when he received documents on the program’s performance, about 53% of the Rs. 25 billion allocated had been spent in the first three months of 2018. 

“What happened to this money? I have handed over the task to my Ministry and the Finance Ministry. We must also re-look at the performance of the Samurdhi Bank. The Samurdhi Bank will be put under the Central Bank. All other banks in Sri Lanka are monitored by the Central Bank. I have notified ministries to begin hiring graduates and Ordinary Level and Advanced Level qualified people. However, we must accept that not everyone can be given government jobs. We will start a training program that will match people with vacancies in the private sector. We will start many employment programs, including providing microfinance loans through the Finance Ministry.”

Wickremesinghe also outlined plans to obtain progress reports on all ministries by the end of May, and hold talks with President Maithripala Sirisena to gather progress reports on other Ministries. 

“All of these things are being done for the next election. We can win. We must understand why we lost the Local Government elections, and work to address those issues. In April 2014, the UNP was in an even lower place than where it is now. No one expected us to win the presidential election and come to power in 2015, but we worked for it. This Government has 18 months left, and during this time we are confident we can take Sri Lanka towards stability. The UNP is the only party that can ensure a stable and prosperous future for Sri Lanka,” he said.