Revamp the UNP to face the future: Nalin Bandara

In a letter addressed to United National Party (UNP) Leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said today he would step down from the post of UNP organiser in Bingiriya if there was no immediate shakeup of the party including a leadership change.

“Our beloved party which has a proud history should be made victorious once again. The party should embark on a new journey to achieve this goal. Therefore it is essential to hand over the party to a new group. The time has come to appoint a new leader and new office bearers. It is the duty of all members of the party to create an environment to appoint new office bearers and set the course for the party to come back to power again. I may decide to resign from the post of UNP organiser in Bingiriya if the party fails to embark on such an exercise,” he said.

Mr. Jayamaha said it was unfair to blame a single person for the defeat at the presidential election. "The responsibility for the defeat should be borne by all officer bearers of the party including the leadership,” he said and added that they believed that only Sajith Premadasa could win the presidential election and that the decision to field Mr. Premadasa as the presidential candidate was correct and it was important to determine the reasons for the defeat.

Mr. Jayamaha told a news conference that the anti-Buddhist label pasted on the party, the Easter Sunday attacks, the approval of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement by the cabinet at an inappropriate time, the sabotage of Mr. Premadasa’s campaign by some UNPers and the lack of funds were the reasons for the defeat.

He said one does not know what became of the funds which the party had received for the campaign from various sources and highlighted the fact that Mr. Premadasa had run out of funds to conduct the campaign during the final stages.

Mr. Jayamaha said he believed that the UNP should concede the government to the newly elected President. “We should do so to enable President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form his own administration and see how he fairs in fulfilling his election pledges. We will be creating a favourable situation for our opponents if we support a resolution to go for a snap poll immediately,” he said.

Quote -- Our beloved party which has a proud history should be made victorious once again. The party should embark on a new journey to achieve this goal. (Yohan Perera)