Appointment unconstitutional; Sajith

4 May 2011 02:46 pm

UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa vehemently condemned the appointment of UNP national organizer with less than 40 members of the 92 member working committee present.

He said that the appointment was made in an unconstitutional manner.  Mr. Premadasa said that a working committee meeting had been called to appoint the national organizer with less than 40 members of the 92 member committee were present.

He stressed that the principal corner stones of the constitution unanimously passed by the members of the party had been violated.

MP Premadasa said those who had pushed for a change in the party constitution had no idea of the meeting and that these party members were now being cornered.

“Both Ranjith Maddumabandara and I, who are not only senior members of the party but also members of the working committee were not told of this meeting,” he said. 

“The national organizer along with other key positions in the party was to be appointed before April 12, but in my opinion the appointment of the national organizer was deliberately delayed while all other appointments made so that a dictatorial decision like this could be made,” MP Premadasa said. 

“The national organizer along with other key positions in the party was to be appointed before April 12, but in my opinion the appointment of the national organizer was deliberately delayed while all other appointments made so that a dictatorial decision like this could be made,” MP Premadasa said. 

He explained that at the working committee meetings that were held in March the only named proposed to the post of national organizer was that of MP Ranjith Maddumabandara.

The Deputy Leader today said that there was no competition or a compromise to arrive upon as in the appointment of the Leader as only one name was proposed to the post of national organizer at the working committee meetings.

“After the working committee meetings were held in March the next one was held on May 3, where we proposed the name of MP Ranjith Maddumabandara was proposed again to the new working committee,” he said.

MP Premadasa stressed that the problem did not lie with the person who had been appointed but with the manner in which the appointment was made.

“I have handed in a letter to member of the working committee as well as the members of the advisory board and the party leadership today stating my opinion of the matter and asking them to protect and follow the constitution appointed by many,” he said. 

Meanwhile, MP Maddumabandara said that the appointment was unconstitutional and that as senior members of the party they were not afraid to stand up to such matters.

“Some media have reported that disciplinary action would be taken if anyone was to talk about the appointment, but we are not afraid to do so,” he said. 

“This is an undemocratic move made by a party whose foundation is built on democracy,” MP Maddumbandara said.  He explained that his name was only proposed because many of the party members had asked him to come forward to be appointed as the national organizer of the party

(Nabeela Hussain)