"UNP changes: proposals move smoothly for implementation"

(September 13, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Addressing the media yesterday (12Sep), Gayantha Karunatileke while referring to the proposals and reforms contained in the report presented by some of the Party seniors at yesterday ‘s working Committee meeting , said , all the changes were cordially and openly discussed, and decisions were taken in unison.

He explained some of the salient features of the report which aim at making the party a victorious party at future elections. The Deputy and assistant Leaders, which posts were scrapped earlier are to be restored. The Working Committee shall appoint electoral organisers within 8 weeks whenever vacancies occur. Similarly, all vacancies occurring within the party shall be filled duly without delay. Trade Unions, Lakvenitha and other Organisations of the party are to be galvanised , and every two months, visits are to be made to the provinces of the Provincial Councils to garner information with a view to providing redress to the grievances in the areas. A shadow cabinet is proposed to monitor and highlight the irregularities and corruption prevailing in Ministries .The UNP’s legal division is to be developed and given more muscle to combat the Govt.’s escalating lawlessness. A strong propaganda apparatus to crush the Govt.’s false media reports and deceitful propaganda which are legion was also suggested.

In short , the reforms are designed to make the party victory oriented at elections and to uproot the anti democratic and corrupt activities of the Govt., he exhorted.

Answering questions posed, he said that there were no proposals advanced at the Working Committee meeting regarding leadership changes.

Speaking on the sharp oil price slump in the world market from U.S. $ 145.00 to U.S. $ 99.00, he said, the Govt. is duty bound to pass the benefit of this to the consumers, instead of engaging in hocus pocus distorting the facts. He criticized the Govt.’s statement that it cannot reduce the prices until the next budget because the present stock of oil was purchased when the prices were high. The Govt. imported 130,000 M.tons and 5000 M.tons of refined oil hurriedly and stocked them when signals were very clear that there was an imminent sharp plummeting of world oil prices. Besides, why did the Govt. import refined oil when we have a refinery here which has the capacity to refine the crude oil at half the cost of import? Going by the raging corruption and irregularities in the present Govt.,reasons for this import are very obvious, he exclaimed.- Sri Lanka Guardian