UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya today said that everyone has clearly understood
after yesterday that the United National Party is a democratic party.
The main reason being that a person who had challenged the leadership of
the UNP was appointed as the chairman of the leadership council, he
said.
Wanting to clarify on any misconceptions, the newly appointed Chairman of the UNP’s leadership council emphasized that he did not ask for the position nor did he propose it. “I was invited and given the post of chairman,” he said.
Wanting to clarify on any misconceptions, the newly appointed Chairman of the UNP’s leadership council emphasized that he did not ask for the position nor did he propose it. “I was invited and given the post of chairman,” he said.
Jayasuriya stated that he
entered the party on an invitation and was appointed as its Deputy
Leader also by invitation. He stated that he was bestowed with the
responsibility by the working committee and the United Bikkhu Front.
There
can no longer be any fractions within the party and no divisions, the
common enemy should be the ruling “oppressive” government, he told
reporters in Colombo today.
“We want to live in the future and
not in the past,” he said, adding, that it is their duty to the people
who are suffering in this country and even more to handover a democratic
country to the next generation, “instead of a country ruled by a
dictatorship.”
He stated that various proposals were put forward,
however pointed out that it is not possible to obtain 100% on
everything all the time and that they had to settle for 70%-80%, which
he termed as “a victory”.
UNP General Secretary Tissa
Attanayake, also speaking at the press briefing, stated that the
decision reached by the working committee yesterday in appointing the
leadership council have received the full blessing and approval of both
the United Bhikkhu Front and United National Bhikkhu Front.
“We
have accepted this as a challenge,” he said. The challenge was handed
over to MP Karu Jayasuriya by the working committee with the blessings
of leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, he said.
“It was a unanimous decision, not a divided decision,” Attanayake stressed.
He
stated that the ‘United Leadership Council’ will commence its
operations immediately. “Therefore it is pointless to keep discussing
minor conflicts of opinions, they too can be resolved,” he said, adding,
that certain people may have wrong understandings and talk about it,
but those too will be discussed and resolved.
Asked whether a
change in the party’s leadership had occurred yesterday, the General
Secretary responded in the positive while saying that some people want
to chase away Ranil Wickramasinghe, however the working committee,
United Bhikkhu Front or United National Bhikkhu Front have no such
intention. “All they want is for everyone to unite and forget the past.”
A great assistance is required from the leader to carry out
this task and Mr Wickramasinghe has pledged to provide that support, he
said. The Opposition Leader had said yesterday that he is prepared to
unconditionally support every decision taken by the leadership council,
chaired by Karu Jayasuriya, the Parliamentarian pointed out.
Clarifying
on MP Sajith Premadasa’s decision to refuse membership in the new
council, Attanayake said the Hambantota District MP has been named as a
member of the leadership council, however he had mentioned three certain
points of concern yesterday.
He said that Mr Premadasa had
talked about reaching a decision on that matter and that the United
Bhikkhu Front is doing its best to discuss the issue and guide all nine
members to a mutual decision.
“So let us allow them to do that without questioning as to who is in and who isn’t,” the UNP General Secretary pleaded.
He
stated that Sajith Premadasa’s name was nominated to the leadership
council according to a proposal made by the United Bhikkhu Front.
Therefore if there are any conflicts of opinion they will be discussed
and resolved within couple of days, he assured.
Adadarana-
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