KANDY - The United National Party (UNP) one of the oldest political parties in Sri Lanka could boast of a celebrated history and therefore it should iron out internal differences and continue to serve the country, the Most Ven. Mahanayaka of Malwatta Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero told the UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday (5).

Wickremesinghe called on the prelate in the company of the UNP General Secretary JVP Tissa Attanayake and MPs Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Lakshman Kiriella. (Read More)

UNP Puttalam district Member of Parliament (MP) Palitha Range Bandara had been asked to appear before the party disciplinary committee this week to make a statement over the attack on him allegedly by another UNP member.

The UNP MP told Daily Mirror Online that he had received a letter from the party asking him to appear before the UNP disciplinary committee on Saturday 12 June after he had complained to the party over the assault on him prior to the recent general elections. (Read More)

It looks as if the UNP is down in the dumps and might not be able to raise its head, with its members disagreeing on every count. Consecutive defeats in elections and the stubbornness of some of its MPs have made the UNP realize that reforms are a must. Even on this count there seems to be disagreement between the members with some of them wholeheartedly agreeing while others are in total disagreement. With several candidates bidding for party leadership, each ‘section’ makes sure that their versions of an incident leaks into the media and each side assures that their version is true.

For example last week there were media reports which stated that the majority of the Provincial Council members rejected the proposal to elect a party leader through a secret ballot in the absence of consensus during a meeting between them and a committee headed by Joseph Michael Perera, who is in charge of the committee to recommend changes to the UNP constitution. But these reports are now being refuted by a majority of the UNP PCs and MPs. They added that there has been a misinterpretation of what actually took place on June 1st.
Southern provincial councillor Maithree Gunarathne told LAKBIMAnEWS that the councillors who gathered at Sirikotha agreed to appoint a committee comprising parliamentarians, provincial Councillors,Chairmen, opposition leader of local councils and organizers of electorates who have voting rights to elect a leader. (Read More)

Close on the heels of the Court of Appeal dismissing a UNP move to expel Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councillor Jayatilleke Podinilame for supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s candidature at the January 26 presidential election, the UPFA has rewarded the veteran politician.

He has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Sabaragamuwa PC in place of Ranjith Bandara, who succeeded Athula Kumara Rahubedde as Chairman of the Council.

Interestingly, the UPFA proposed Podinilame for the post on May 20, five

days before the Court of Appeal declared that his expulsion from the UNP was invalid. The Court declared that the judgment would not prevent the UNP from initiating fresh disciplinary action against the rebel.

Responding to a query by The Island, an official at the Sabaragamuwa PC said that the UNP PC group had not opposed the UPFA move. He was proposed by Minister D. M. Karunapala and endorsed by Bhanu Munipriya.(Read More)

UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake yesterday set the stage for another controversy asking the party leadership to stop the party reforms.  

Addressing the meeting which was organized by the Kotte UNP Bala Mandala to felicitate Provincial Council Member Shiral Lakthilaka last evening Mr. Karunanayake said there was no need for selecting suitable persons through a ballot but called for selecting them on the seniority basis.

“Put the party reforms aside,” he told reforms committee member UNP MP Kabir Hashim who was also present at the meeting.He also called for the setting up of council of leaders to take care of the party. (Read More)

United National Party (UNP)-affiliated National Lawyers Association Secretary Gunaratne Wanninayake is reported to have told the party’s reforms committee yesterday that it was essential to have a leadership change if the party was to win at elections.

According to highly placed party sources Mr. Gunaratne had said the party had forgotten the ‘yellow robe’ and ‘Dharma Chakra’, and this was a major reason for the repeated election defeats suffered by the UNP during the past 15 years. (Read More)

Charging that the appointment of the ‘Lessons Learnt Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ was a sop offered by the  Government to please the international community, the main opposition UNP yesterday said it should not suffer the same fate which the Udalagama Commission suffered in the recent past.

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella told a news conference yesterday the Government should take action on the findings of this present commission which is headed by former Chief Justice C. R. De Silva if an international probe is not needed. He made this point referring to the statement made by External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris who said on Tuesday that an international probe is not needed.

He dismissed the claims made by the Government that Lessons Learnt Truth and Reconciliation Commission is similar to the Truth Commission of South Africa stating that even former President of that country Nelson Mandela went before it and made confessions that he too had committed some offences in liberating South Africa from the whites. He said the then president of South Africa F. W. De Klerk also went before it.(Read More)

UNP provincial councillors yesterday rejected the proposal for electing party leader through a secret ballot in the absence of consensus. During a meeting between over 100 councillors and a committee headed by Joseph Michael Perera, MP to spearhead changes to the UNP constitution, at Sirikotha, members emphasised that any move to elect the leader would be detrimental to the party.

Sources told The Island yesterday afternoon, councillors had requested that the post of party leader should not be contested under any circumstances, though interested parties may push for a secret ballot. (Read More)

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara continued their dispute, with Mr. Attanayake sending a hard hitting letter to Mr. Range Bandara.

Mr. Attanayake, in his letter, had dismissed the allegation made by Mr. Bandara to the effect that Mr. Attanayake was deliberately delaying disciplinary action against the provincial council member who had allegedly assaulted him.  

Mr. Attanayake also said that he had dealt with the issue impartially.

He said that he had called for a report from Mr. P. Herath, the Additional District Manager of the Puttalam District, on his own initiative and not at anyone’s instigation.(Read More)

The UNP said yesterday that it would welcome suggestions on ways and means of reforming the party, from anyone who is interested in the party -- including the general public.

UNP MP Gayantha Karunatilleke told a news conference last morning that the party would welcome suggestions from anyone who is interested in reforming the party. Hs said those who wished to offer suggestions could come to ‘Sirikotha’ (the party headquarters) and discuss their ideas with members of the Reforms Committee or, alternatively, hand over written suggestions.

He said this decision had been taken because of the great enthusiasm shown by various groups over party reforms 

The Reforms Committee will also call for suggestions from various associations affiliated to the party. Accordingly, suggestions would be called for, today, from several groups -- including provincial council members, district managers and the National Medical Officers’ Association. (Read More)