Fri, 29 Mar 2024 Today's Paper

I am a strong UNPer, will fight to see UNP back in power - -Muzammil

By

3 March 2014 05:40 am - 1     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

The Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), A.J.M. Muzammil made politically controversial statements soon after the refusal of his wife Feroza Muzammil’s nomination as a candidate for the Western Provincial Council elections. Speaking to the Dailymirror  he said under the existing system of the party, the UNP will surely lose the upcoming elections. He said it is not the leadership to be blamed, but certain other people who attempted to carry out a monopoly in the party. Furthermore he said that he would resign from his position as the CMC Mayor if the candidates presented from the Colombo North managed to win in the upcoming Provincial Council elections.


Q:    You made a brave statement that Ravi Karunanayake is responsible for the down-fall of the UNP. What is the base of the statement you have made?
Ravi Karunanayaka is not a senior member in this party. I have nothing personal against anybody. My task is to bring the UNP to the correct path.
Ravi is one of the root causes for the present crisis. He has been interfering with UNP’s affairs and trying to dominate. People like him are trying to project their images. The party structure is not in the proper place.

I have a reason to say this. Ravi Karunanayake was a member of the Nomination Committee. On 5th of February having selected all the applicants he resigned from the committee. Then he went on to criticise that the Nomination Committee was not working properly. That is not a correct responsible approach by a person who was in the Nomination Committee. My question is why did the Party not take any action on that. It has to be a collective decision, whether it is right or wrong.

At one point Ravi said that it was he who helpedme to become the Mayor. But look at Colombo North. Our margin came down to 11,000. Now Ravi has put forward two candidates. I challenge him if he can get any of the candidates elected, I will resign my post as the Mayor and he should give the same consideration, that if he failed to do so, he should resign from Colombo North.

The main person who led in the down fall of the 2002 UNP government is no one else but Ravi Karunanayake, he led from the fore front, without knowing the implications that are there in the Constitution and without knowing the powers that are there in the Executive President. If Ranil Wickremesinghe contested and if he had continued the full term, he should have contested as the Prime Minister of this country.

My intention is to protect the council. I have not compromised my party position. I was in the forefront with the people. The Government is not destroying me. If the government wanted to destroy me they could have destabilised the CMC. They did not do that. They extended their hand.







From day one I have been exposing the truth. These people have to be exposed. Many people appreciated me for revealing the truth. I am only trying to put the party in the correct path. I am doing it with good intention. They are the people who threatened the party and the council. There are people who have been victims of their prejudices. I am not against the leadership, nor blame the leadership.




Q:  Don’t you think it is unprofessional to have verbal arguments with a fellow member?
From day one I have been exposing the truth. These people have to be exposed. Many people appreciated me for revealing the truth. I am only trying to put the party in the correct path. I am doing it with good intention. They are the people who threatened the party and the council. There are people who have been victims of their prejudices. I am not against the leadership, nor blame the leadership.

This is the last election before the next presidential or parliamentary election. There are many electoral organisers who are non-parliamentarians. The party or the leadership council did not have guts to enforce them to contest. If the party does not have guts do you think I have guts?



Q:  Does this mean leadership is not strong?
All are making mistakes because of the dominations. More than the leader it is the leadership council to be blamed.



Q:  Some people allege that you will cross over to the government. You seem to be a close ally of the Defense Secretary as well. Is there any truth in this?
If I have an ally I would never let my wife to seek for nomination. The Defense Secretary is extending his support for the development of the city. I give credit for that. The city is entirely transformed. Why should we feel shy to say that he is helping us? My appreciation of the Defense Secretary’s help does not mean I have an ally with the Government. If the mindset of the people is this, I am sorry to say this. I do not know where we are heading to if people misinterpret things like that.



Q:  Why do you think her application was rejected?
Pure jealousy, I would say. I did not ask the party to make her the Chief Minister or any other Minister in the Provincial Council. This in fact is an election we cannot win. But we need to have people who are capable of taking the party to the wining post. I introduced Feroza not because she is my wife, but because she is a person who is backed by many people. Feroza has been with the people for more than five years. She has a Women’s Organisation which she has been doing social work for years. It was the people who were gathered around her organization, pressed her to contest. I never pressed her to do so. She stands strong on her feet.
Once Ravi Karunanayake said that UNP is not a party to cater to the kith and kin of  politicians. But my question is whether our party has a policy like that? Certainly not. There are many budding politicians who are successors of their parents or relatives. This does not happen only in the UNP but happens in the SLFP as well. I believe it is good.

I have received information that two organisers from the Central Colombo did not want Feroza to contest. They feared her appearance in politics.  Actually she would have been more helpful if she was given  the opportunity. They would have worked as a team. Unfortunately these people do not understand Public Relations. On February 1st Feroza had her women’s organisation “Kantha Saviya” convention. Rosy Senanayake attended that. There were more than 6000 people gathered that day. She herself said if Feroza is given the chance she would top the list. But the very next day she has spoken the opposite. Rosy herself feared that Feroza would get more power than her.


Q:  Are you saying that the UNP cannot win the upcoming elections?
If you cannot feel the winners, people who can get votes, well then the results will speak it self on 30th morning.


Q:  You sacked a coordinator who was given to you by the party leader. Why is that?
Yes, this incident happened right after the refusal of Feroza’s nomination. Many people said that I am taking a grudge out of that. But there is nothing to do with the party and that person was not appointed by the Party. He was under me for two years and due to his non performance of tasks I had to get a new person. The reports published saying that I sacked him due to rejectionof feroza’s nomination is false.


Q:   If you were invited to join hands with the government would you consider?
So far the Government has not extended any invitation to me to join them. I am a strong UNPer with a big history. I do not have any reason to change my political alliance. I will fight to put the party’s structure in the correct path. Also I will fight to see UNP back in power. Failing which I will retire from politics.


Q:  Does that mean that you have a plan to retire from politics in the near future?
No, there is a long way to go and there is a long battle. I will fight till the end.


Q: As a senior member of the party you seem to be a person who is eligible for the leadership. Do you think you will be able to climb the leadership ladder in considering recent incidents that had happened?
If not for the fact that I am a Muslim I could have gone a long way. This is a Sinhala Buddhist country. Party leader has to be a Sinhala Buddhist. This is not United States of America to bring a Barack Obama. But I am not saying that I do not have an intention to climb the leadership ladder. I defeated this strong government by getting elected as the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council. Even at that point there were many objections against me. But the leadership did not listen to them. He gave the opportunity to me. With the political background one must have the ability to market the tag. I believe I have that capability. However, I am not necessarily saying that I do not want to climb the ladder.


I despise anyone who tries to bring the UNP down: Rosy Senanayake



Daily Mirror contacted United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake on allegations levelled against her by the mayor A.J.M Muzammil. While attesting that she was deeply shocked and saddened by the allegations, she said that she did not wish to comment on them until after the elections.
However, she added that she despises anyone who tries to bring down the party and to hinder the party’s victory through baseless allegations against the party members.
She added that she could not be held responsible for the party’s decisions about nominations as she was not part of the nomination board, nor the leadership council.
 


I Will never leave UNP at any cost: Feroza



Feroza Muzammil, wife of the Mayor A.J.M Muzammil of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) was not given the ticket to contest for the upcoming provincial elections from the United National Party (UNP) ticket. The news made media attention to the UNP as it may be another sign of showing internal conflict within the party. In  a discussion with the Daily Mirror she said that she would not halt the services she has been carried out and will never leave UNP at any cost.


Q:  As you see what are the reasons for the non acceptance your nomination?
I am indeed sad over the fact that I did not get nomination. Even the General Secretary of the Party told me that my name is in the top. But I do not know what and why this happened. But I came to know that certain individuals got scared of my entrance to politics. Especially certain female politicians feared that they will lose their positions after seeing the people base around me. They feared that I might even contest for a parliamentary election.

The sole reason for me to seek nomination was the requests made by people in my organization “Kantha Saviya”. It was they who told me that I can extend my services to people if I am elected to the Provincial Council. It was not even my husbands’ request. Had he wanted to bring me into politics he could have done so when the UNP was in power, which he did not do.


Q:  Do you think the leadership of the UNP is responsible?
No, I do not blame the party leadership at any time. Even the leadership was upset by the fact that I did not get the opportunity to contest. Leadership is always and has always being with me. I do not blame the leadership for non-acceptance of my nomination.


Q:  Would you consider joining another party?
No, I will never leave the UNP. I have formed a women’s organisation named “Kantha Saviya”. I have around 8000 members and also their families around me. I will continue to do the services I have been doing so far.


Q:  What is your next political step?
Let the leadership and the party decide.


Q:  What is your opinion on women’s’ representation in UNP?
All I can say is a lot more to be done and we have a long way to go.

Q: Even after the non acceptance of your nomination you seem to engage in many social activities. Do you engage in these expecting a political mileage?
If I am to get a political mileage I would have stopped all these activities. In fact I am doing more. With my organisation I have being doing social work for more than five years. I have many people around me irrespective of their religion, caste or class. We render services to people from many backgrounds.
I have been working closely with people who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Even now there are many programmes streamedlined for the rest of the months of the year. I am at the CMC premises every Wednesday from 11 am- 4.00 pm. I do not do these for any payment.

Q: With the recent incidents occurred do you think your husband will get the positions he deserved in the future being a senior member of the party?
He definitely can climb the leadership ladder. He has many people rallied around him and I will give my fullest support to him.
 

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

  Comments - 1

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka
  • jim pappa Monday, 03 March 2014 03:04 PM

    For you to see UNP back in power, Mussammil, you will have to outlive Ranil.


Add comment

Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Reply To:

Name - Reply Comment





Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

VAT increase: SOUNDs death knell for publishers, readers

Though the Government imposed VAT (Value Added Tax) on vegetables and other e

How female change-makers are driving Sri Lanka’s energy saving platform

Saving energy has become more of a responsibility than a habit in today’s c

A dull Ramadan awaits Muslims amidst the Soaring Cost of Living

In the coming days, Muslims across the world will welcome the Holy Month of R

New wildlife underpass to curtail HEC

As of February 2024, Sri Lanka lost another 38 elephants as a result of the H