From the Sunday Times of September 14 ....... A news conference and the sequence of events that followed highlight a number of issues. Last Wednesday, the UNP’s Political Affairs director Mangala Samaraweera addressed a news conference at Siri Kotha, the party headquarters. Here are some edited excerpts of relevance: “After the completion of the war we hoped that we could achieve the much awaited socio-economic progress. The victory achieved by the heroic armed forces has been projected as a victory of the Rajapaksa regime. Since the defeat of separatism, though the country could function as one nation the Rajapaksa regime has created two different worlds (classes). “One country-two classes” is the most suitable slogan for the time. The ‘first class’ which I refer to is enjoyed by less than 0.1 per cent who are close to the Rajapaksa regime……. “The Government says there should be heavy traffic on the expressway. But I noticed about 10 vehicles an hour. I spoke to the owner of an eatery where I had my lunch with my security guard and driver. He was telling me that though there are expressways, the irrigation tanks have run dry. We have fallen back in our standards. Media freedom remains curtailed. Today more than 42 per cent of the population earn less than Rs. 275 a day. This is the other side of prosperity. Poverty is running high. Crime against children is increasing. When parents from the north come to Colombo to protest against disappearances, they are beaten up by criminals. Those who were ordinary Pradeshiya Sabha members today are among the richest. “Our foreign service has become a joke. Today we have 62 diplomatic missions. This too is unnecessary. This also is being used to give jobs to those in the first class, particularly those who do not have qualifications and the henchmen of the Government. During the late Lakshman Kadirgamar’s time and my time, we maintained the proper ratio of 65:35. This is 65 per cent from the diplomatic service and only the rest were political appointments. Even the political appointees were those who had some special talent……. “The Hambantota Port was opened in October 2010. But it took 34 months for 100 ships to arrive at this port. That too, some of the ships were compelled to call over at the Hambantota Port. These ships were carrying cars and could have unloaded them at the Colombo Port. Now they pay more to transport the vehicles back to Colombo……. “Under the leadership of our national leader we should unite to defeat the opposing forces. We should be careful of those who pretend to be friends, but are actually enemies. When the party leader is making sacrifices to unite the party and fighting bravely to bring a better era for the UNP’ers who suffered during the past 20 years, some media organisations cannot bear it. They have got scared and are worried. They are trying to scuttle this journey. “When it comes close to an election they criticise the party leader. They use different people, some with robes. I wish to tell these media organisations that they are working according to the Government’s agenda, may be ‘Maha Rajawaru’s or ‘Kuda Rajawaru,’ that our leader will not bow down to them. Whatever forces come we will do everything to make Ranil Wickremesinghe the next President of the country.” A Q and A followed. Excerpts: “Q: Did you oppose the proposed appointment of Sajith Premadasa as the deputy leader. A: I always battled not persons, but principles. In 2007 when I was told to re-join the Government I rejected it on principle. When I was the Foreign Minister I took certain decisions based on principles. I have no hatred against Mahinda Rajapaksa. Even if I meet him today I can speak to him as a brother. But I cannot accept his principles. Therefore regarding Sajith Premadasa too I have no problems with him, but take decisions based on principles. Q: He (Sajith) has said he would dedicate himself for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Presidential candidate. Your comments? A: We welcome that statement. But I hope that is turned into action in the future. Q: Inaudible A: Since 1995 this media organisation has been criticising me. That’s not new. I do not care about them. I can bear if I am attacked. I do not go to complain. If at all it is Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been attacked the most, I get the second place. But if media organisations block our journey, I will speak on that. Q: Ranil Wickremesinghe has made a statement regarding Mr Premadasa being appointed as the deputy leader, but this media organisation continues to attack. A: Our leader has honestly taken a decision on this on behalf of the party. We should honour that. It is questionable to launch another attack when such a decision has been taken. The people should understand this. Whom do they represent? Whose contracts are they doing? This organisation during the past few years has been attacking the leader at crucial times. This is to dishearten the voters. The Uva voters should decide. If the people vote, whatever the media tells won’t be an issue.” No sooner the reports of Samaraweera’s remarks at the news conference became public on Thursday, hell broke loose in UNP circles. General Secretary Tissa Attanayake was incensed. He told confidants that Samaraweera had unnecessarily hurt the feelings of the two persons who were helping bring unity within the party. Attanayake, a staunch promoter of Premadasa’s entry as deputy leader, said this should never have been done and added that he had raised objections with his leader Wickremesinghe. Premadasa hit back the same day with a strongly worded statement. Here are edited excerpts of the statement issued in Sinhala: “A person like Mangala Samaraweera who destroyed the UNP, and who is not aware of the party’s proud history, who does not understand the thinking and aspirations of the majority of party members, is now throwing down challenges at me. I am not prepared to accept his so-called challenges. Matara District MP Mangala Samaraweera has stated at a media conference held at party headquarters Siri Kotha, ‘Now it is time for Sajith Premadasa to prove his mettle.’ This appears to be a statement made by someone who has not understood the party’s principles, nor assessed the Premadasas or even correctly assessed himself. It is merely a statement made by a hatemonger. “At the time my father sacrificed his life for the party, Mangala Samaraweera was one of the main actors who attempted to ridicule my father by character assassination and, not stopping at that, he was at the forefront of destroying the UNP and also the UNP government which was in power at that time. In 1999, when UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe contested the presidential election, Mangala Samaraweera destroyed his image by caricaturing him as “Mister Bean” and putting up posters all over the country to mislead gullible voters. Not content with that he called a news conference and proclaimed through the media, “Ranil is incompetent”. He also lured many UNP MPs over to the government side. It is a trick of fate that this same Mangala Samaraweera is now passing off as the saviour of the UNP. “I showed my capabilities by winning the Hambantota District in 2000 and 2001. Mangala Samaraweera obtained UNP membership in 2010 only to include his name in a recognised party candidates’ list in order to contest the general elections — not because he had any love for the UNP. He entered the party as a refugee and came second in the Matara District. During the last provincial council elections in March he could not increase the UNP vote percentage in the Matara District. Therefore I am not ready to accept these challenges thrown down by a person like Mangala Samaraweera, who destroyed our party, is not aware of the prestige of the party, has failed to recognise the thinking and aspirations of the common people and who refuses to accept new trends in the party. In contrast, I am always willing to consider the views of anyone who genuinely loves the party and who dedicates himself towards its success.” UNP national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had finished campaigning in Uva on Thursday night, had dinner at Nuwara Eliya and arrived in Colombo only in the early hours of Friday. The news of new developments caused serious concern for him. Samaraweera was readying to respond to Premadasa with a strongly worded statement but had been persuaded not to do so in view of the September 20 Uva Provincial Council elections. Nevertheless, he issued a brief statement with plans to issue a detailed one after the polls ended. Excerpts: “………Mr. Sajith Premadasa has issued as usual a vitriolic statement attacking me for ‘challenging’ him. This could not be further from the truth: I merely echoed the view of thousands of UNP activists when I said that his words of total support for our leader in the lead up to the next Presidential election should be matched by his deeds in the weeks ahead. “Hence, it is by no means a challenge that emanates from me. It is a challenge for Mr. Premadasa, to prove his genuine loyalty and sincere commitment to upholding party unity and discipline; that is the expectation of every member of the United National Party……. “…… That Mr. Premadasa has chosen to devote all his venom at me at a time when he should focus on the misdeeds of the UPFA government is indeed sad. We in the UNP are not at war with each other after all. Our battle should be, must be with the Government….” If indeed Samaraweera is denying he did not challenge Premadasa, why then did Premadasa issue such a statement? Was he taking offence at any references to him or was he, like UNP Secretary Attanayake says, espousing the cause of others who have been hurt by Samaraweera’s comments at the media conference he had? Whatever the reasons are, one thing appears clear. The problems within the UNP appear to weigh more heavily than that of the UPFA Government. That is even before the party has picked a deputy leader. Even if the UPFA is dogged by a multitude of issues on many fronts including the conduct of foreign policy, its poor human rights record, breakdown in law and order, the virulent campaign against NGOs, spiralling cost of living, rampant bribery and corruption among others, what counts at the end is the outcome of the polls. As one UPFA MP said during a TV debate; “while we are building roads, and looking into the needs of the poor, the UNP is fighting over who should be the leader, or deputy leader and who should sit in what chair”. The hiccups for the UNP become worse ahead of every election, be it local or national. The results are a walkover to the ruling party and total disillusionment to those who want to see checks and balances in governance.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 03:34:42 +0000