Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Wednesday, 6 November 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Chairman Karu Jayasuriya and members of the newly set up Leadership Council of the UNP all smiles during their first media conference yesterday at Sirikotha – Pic by Kushan Pathiraja
Change was a process and having the bulk of the party’s concerns addressed was reason enough to be satisfied. “Other changes can be discussed and arrived at slowly,” he explained, amid claims by the hardline reformists within the party that the new Council did not embody meaningful reform.
The Chairman said that other Opposition parties had hailed the resolution within the UNP, and said ‘signs were good’ for alliances to be forged going forward in order to battle the Government juggernaut.
Reaching out to disgruntled sections of the UNP, Jayasuriya called on the party membership to stop raking up the past and become stakeholders in the party’s future.
“We are all flesh and blood people. We are all human. Disagreements happen and that is unfortunate. Let’s unite and move on,” he said.
Remarking on the decision by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa to decline the nomination to sit on the Council, Jayasuriya said that he had been very respectfully invited to sit on the Council.
A decision on whether Premadasa’s vacancy on the Council would be filled will only be made much later, he observed.
Jayasuriya, flanked by five other members of the Council appointed by the Working Committee on Monday night, was addressing his first media briefing after assuming the position at the UNP’s Sirikotha Headquarters.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Vice President Lakshman Kiriella, Communications Director Mangala Samaraweera and MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Ruwan Wijewardene were present at the news conference.
Sajith Premadasa who was appointed as a member of the Council by the Working Committee has decided not to accept the position. Last afternoon, MP Thalatha Athukorale also decided against accepting the nomination to sit on the Council as its sole female member.
Addressing the furore caused by Premadasa who charged that the UNP had reneged on its promises to the monks by not adopting the last three proposals put forward by the United Bhikku Front on Sunday (3), Kiriella said the business of the Working Committee on Monday had solely been the adoption of the original eight point proposal that was put forward to the UNP in writing by the monks.
“It had not even been 24 hours since the last three proposals were presented. There was no time for consultation or discussion on those points,” Kiriella explained. He said that the United Bhikku Front was satisfied with the compromise arrangement reached
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that it was ridiculous for people to claim that there was no change in the leadership structure. He explained that under the UNP Constitution it was not with the Leader that power was vested but with the Working Committee.
“The Leader derives his power from the Working Committee. On Monday the Working Committee delegated a bulk of these powers to the new Council. So of course there has been a significant change,” Attanayake said.
The Secretary added that although it was the hope of certain elements in the party to kick Ranil Wickremesinghe out entirely, the Working Committee and even the Buddhist monks had acknowledged the UNP Leader had a contribution to make.
“He has pledged unconditional support to the Council. Of course we need his support, of course we need his contributions,” Attanayake said.
UNP MP Kabir Hashim was also absent at the press briefing, but the Council members said he had been detained at Parliament.
