“As a last resort he formed alliances with the one-man party of Mangala Samaraweera and Rauf Hakeem of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. These alliainces did not bring him any success. His image came crashing down when the best of his men, led by the Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, joined President Mahinda Rajapakse.”__________________________
by our Political Correspondent
(June 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Political sources reveal that, after the defeat of the United National Party (UNP) in the last election in the East held in April, there is a strong move to remove Ranil Wickremesinghe as the head of the party.
Senior Party member have met him shortly after he returned from Germany and suggested that the party should form a broad coalition of several opposition parties to make use of the unpopularity of the government and he should take up the position of leading this coalition, leaving the UNP to appoint a new leader. Wickremesinghe had been stunned by this move to kick him upstairs.
The UNP power-brokers made this move to rescue the Party from the failed leadership of Wickremesinghe. His latest failure after he lost the election was to return home empty handed from Germany where he met EU leaders to get concessions for the garment industry. He is the Asian head of the International Democratic Union – an international body dominated by Western leaders pushing their political agenda -- and it was believed that he could use his position to influence the EU. When he was campaigning in the election he promised to get the GSP+ -- a facility that would have helped the garment industry to export at concessionary rates to EU countries. He was hoping to impress the people that he has more power than the government to win concessions from the West. But he came back empty handed and he was taken aback to see black flags and protests at the airport. He was forced to dodge the protesters and go home through a different route.
The government accuses him as a “tale carrier” denigrating the nation with the sole motive of getting their backing to capture power which he has failed repeatedly at the polls. The nationalist forces have ganged up against him because he is seen as an agent of the West. He even invited the Portuguese, one of the most cruel colonial master who destroyed the culture of the nation, to jointly celebrate 500th anniversary of their invasion of Sri Lanka. He promised to build the biggest Buddhist dagaba in the world when the biggest dagaba is in the Sri Lanka.
As a last resort he formed alliances with the one-man party of Mangala Samaraweera and Rauf Hakeem of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. These alliainces did not bring him any success. His image came crashing down when the best of his men, led by the Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, joined President Mahinda Rajapakse.
UNPers have even challenged in the courts his Memorandum of Understading (MoU) signed between the UNP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing) led by Mangala Samaraweera who has been dead weight. UNP Western Provincial Councillor, Anil Kumar Wijesinghe and former deputy defence minister, Anura Bastian challenged the MoU in the Colombo District Court last week.
They told the Court that Wickremesinghe signed the MoU with Mangala Samaraweera on July 19, 2007 to form the “National Congress” which is inconsistent with the constitution of the UNP. They argued that Wickremesinghe had no powers to determine the principles and policies of the UNP and the power to do so lies only with Party Convention and the National Working Committee.
In this MoU Wickremesinghe had agreed to hand over the deputy leadership to Mangala Samaraweera, heading a one-man party and also to contest under a different symbol.
Wickremesinghe had replies saying that the UNP had entered into similar agreements before and that the plaintiffs were now members of the government.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
Cowardly Leader
All the battles RW faced he was only rewarded with repated defeats. This prvoves he is no leader to lead a progressing country. Underhand deals secretly negotiated in deviding the counry soley to become the President of the country is courages attempet but cowardly act. This is why people of the country do not wish to stand behind the Opp. Leader in making him the ruler of the Natiion. This the governing factor that people of Sri Lanka stand behind President Rajapakse. His assurnce of defeating the LTTE is the Crowning Glory the whole Nation awating and soon we the people of the country believe this would material by the end of this year. We are quite prepared to await bit longer even after end of 2008 extending to 2009. That's because we know the forceful task that's been calculative conducted by our Army, Navy and Air Forces along with the Police Force.
No war can be won without sacrificing lives on both sides. Terrorist sacrifice their lives in suicide missions killing innocent young and old while the Government Armed Forces sacrifice their lives in protecting the Nations and her people.
We the pople of the Nation want One Country as brothers and sisters to stand proudly as one family. This can never happen under Ranil who is no WickramaSinhay but undoubtedly Mahinda is our Rajaye crowned Raja. Rest in Peace cowardly Prince Ranil.
This is the best UNP can do to that great political party and the country. I doubt very much if the government will allow this to happen as they benefits more than anyone having Ranil as the leader of the opposition. Ranil does cover all the dirty work of the government whenever he opens his mouth.
There are many true UNPers waiting this to happen but with him people like Tissa should go otherwise it will be like a temporary plaster on a wound. UNP also must never get Chandrika anywhere near the party otherwise the party will go back the same way she did to SLFP with corruption and illegal activities.
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