If ever one needed a personification of the word shameless – it would be the collective might of the Working Committee of the United National Party. In 2004, the UNP having lost the parliamentary elections, commissioned a report on its standing. Faults were identified and the now famous item has stood out like a sore thumb. “The party leader should be more firm with those suspected of indiscipline and corrupt acts.”
Other brilliant suggestions followed: Be more receptive to suggestions, Make himself more accessible to others and present himself as a ‘national’ leader concerned about the religious and cultural traditions of the country.
The report went on to list 68 weaknesses the party was suffering from and most could be related to their leader.
The point being that the Panditharatne Report was published in 2004. It is a shocking indictment on the Leadership that they were unable to deem it fit to make that report available to the general membership of the UNP.
There also exists a real fear and a wide perception among the leading membership that all key political, management, administrative and financial decisions are taken not by
Consultation but by an inner circle who often have personal agendas rather
Than national interests and who give wrong advice to the leadership.
There is a real fear among party membership that frank and open expression of views and
Ideas are not welcome. That such ideas will be met not only with derision but also with action that will impact on these supporters of the party.
The resignation of Sudath Chandrasekera the bodyguard and Policeman who has been at the side of Ranil Wickremesinghe for as long as anyone can remember must be as bad news as the Bondgate scandal for the UNP leader.
Chandrasekera makes no bones that Wickremesinghe’s attitude is one bereft of loyalty and gratitude. Shockingly and chillingly he states that thanks to the Batalanda affaire, he has become a murderer. This statement will fuel those claims that Batalanda was where several youth lost their lives and not all because they were terrorist suspects.
The inaction of the UNP top brass to take cognisance of the unpopularity and autocratic behaviour of their leader is unbelievable. That they appear not to realise that the UNP is being driven to the ground by such partial and undemocratic action really does beggar belief.
President Jayawardena surrounded himself with fine upstanding men, who could hardly be described as spineless. JRJ’s inner circle were men and women committed to the goals and ideals of their party and ultimately to the nation.
In Wickremesinghe we see an inner circle of close friends who appear to live only to be subservient and compliant to their leader. Men and women who appear to have spine akin to jelly fish. Even that may well be acceptable if only the actions of his close coterie of pals did not infiltrate and cost the nation’s coffers.
Procurement after procurement is passed by the CCEM or other means even after President Sirisena had declared that the CCEM be disbanded. His friends and their associates continue to thrive and benefit from that patronage – all ultimately at the expense of the state.
The problem appears to be that by and large the core UNP loyalist have difficulty in comprehending just who this Ranil really is.
One matter is for certain – that Wickremesinghe has far outlived his use by date. A growing number of natural UNP loyalists still maintain a liking for Wickremesinghe but have deserted the party depressed at how Wickremesinghe is leading the UNP all the way down towards a very large sewer. Democracy is now only spoken of when trying to impress the hoi polloi and international friends whilst in practise the UNP itself is one of the greatest serial offenders against real and robust democracy.
There is little doubt that huge sums of monies are at play to buy loyalty or even to desert the UNP in exchange for assurances from the ‘other’ side that such deserters will be handsomely rewarded.
All this time this government of Wickremesinghe have failed miserably on the reconciliation and accountability fronts and must be held accountable for their inability to deliver positivity in copious quantities in terms of the good governance they promised at the hustings.
Instead they have been at the helm whilst the Bondgate scandal was on, the Central Express Section 3 departure from established process, the purchase of coal and the list is endless.
