UNP MPs advised not to criticise party leaders

The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee has arrived at a decision not to publicly criticise any party leaders in the run-up to the upcoming local government elections. 

This development comes in the wake of the highly publicised drama between President Maithripala Sirisena and several UNP backbenchers who had openly criticised the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leader earlier this week.

Speaking to journalists at the party’s headquarters at Sirikotha yesterday, UNP Secretary General and Minister of Public Enterprise Development Kabir Hashim said that UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too had been subject to much public criticism by some ministers of the coalition government.

“There are plenty of stakeholders when the Government does something right. Whenever there is a problem, however, it’s suddenly a UNP Government. What we say is that, for good or ill, this is a UNP Government. That’s how we operate,” said Hashim, adding that his party does not wish to absolve itself of any responsibility.

What with a number of prominent SLFPers being increasingly and openly critical of the UNP, some UNP backbencher MPs had lost their patience, said the Minister, adding that party leader Wickremesinghe had advised them to refrain.

“He’s our President; we love him. Because tempers are high during election times, the Prime Minister has advised us not to criticise party leaders and engage in clean politics,” he said. (HK)