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UNP-SLFP nexus not against SLFP but against Rajapaksa clan: Ranil
View(s):The United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have joined forces to defeat the Rajapaksa regime at the upcoming election. This force is not against the SLFP, but the Rajapaksa family, said Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Crowds raise their hands to the resolution in support of Maithripala Sirisena. Pic by Indika Handuwala
Addressing the UNP’s special convention yesterday (6), Mr. Wickremesinghe said that, in 2001 and 2010, the Party joined forces at elections, but this time, by supporting the SLFP’s General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena, the UNP is taking a new road towards victory.
Thousands of members gathered at the party headquarters pledged unanimously to support Presidential Candidate Maithripala Sirisena at next month’s Presidential Elections.
Crowds raised their hands to the resolution to support Mr. Sirisena, in order to abolish the Executive Presidency, to make active the 17th Amendment, to establish a democratic government answerable to the people,and appoint a new Cabinet with multiparty representation and to bring down the cost of living.
Mr Wickremesinghe said that, by introducing the 18th Amendment, the present Government has distorted the executive powers introduced by then President J.R. Jayawardena in the Constitution.
“The Uva and Western Provincial Council elections are examples that the party can defeat the Government. I don’t want to build roads in order to fill my pockets with money, I want to build factories in order to fill your pockets,” Mr Wickremesinghe said.
He said that, in 2021, when the Party will be celebrating its 75th anniversary, the dream of late Prime Ministers D.S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Presidents J.R. Jayawardena, R. Premadasa and D.B. Wijethunge will be realised.The convention was addressed by the Party’s General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Parliamentarians Karu Jayasuriya, Sajith Premadasa, Harin Fernando, Ravi Karunanayake, Joseph Micheal Perera and K. Velayutham.
Chairman of the Leadership Council of the UNP, Karu Jayasuriya said the party was able to obtain the support of the whole Opposition, as they all voiced the hope for a just society that is free of ethanol, narcotics and corruption. Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said this election would decide the future of the country, and, as the late President’s J.R. Jayawardena and R. Premadasa joined hands to win in 1977; he would join hands with Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to win this election.
“This is the second struggle for the second independence. In the first struggle, both D.S. Senanayake and S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike worked together, this is a similar situation,” he said. Mr Premadasa said that his father, the late President Premadasa and the present Presidential Candidate Maithripala Sirisena have similar qualities, both come from humble backgrounds and are able to understand the issues concerning the poor, both urban and rural.
He said, under the fertiliser relief, farmers are given low quality fertiliser that has resulted in kidney disease which is widespread in the North-Central Province, Ampara District and now in the Hambantota district.
“The Samurdhi savings are no more, only a small student population is benefiting the day-meal programme, the Mattala Airport and the Port have not created government jobs, but jobs handled by man-power agencies, the foreign policy has enabled politicians to slap foreign service officers and the fuel allowance for fishermen has been scrapped,” he said.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that, in order to end the present suffering, the UNP realised that this cannot be done alone.
He said that the UNP gives its support and respect to Maitripala Sirisena, and that UNP organisers will continue to work hard to gain victory at the upcoming election.