Leadership Council starts work; spells new era for UNP
Saturday, 16 November 2013 00:00
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United National Party (UNP) National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said that he would work hand in hand with the newly appointed leadership council to take the party to new heights.
“Bring about effective changes in the party and I will do the rest,” he told the members of the leadership council while speaking at its inauguration ceremony that was held at the party headquarters, ‘Sirikotha’. Calling for unity among the party members, Mr. Wickremesinghe said that there should not be any fsactions in the party.
“There should be only one party and steps should be taken to discipline the party members,” he said adding that discipline was vital even for Buddhist monks.
‘The “Vinaya Pitakaya” is more important to monks than even the “Abidhamma Pitakaya” and other principles,” he said.
He also pointed out that the party needed to be re-organised from the grassroots, some things that had not been done in a proper manner recently.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Chairman of the Leadership Council, Karu Jayasuriya said that he had undertaken to head the council with the genuine intention of rebuilding the party. He re-iterated that he had not betrayed anyone or received a dead rope from anyone. Mr. Jayasuriya assured that he would live up to the expectations of everyone and make the party victorious at future elections.
Venerable Girambe Ananda Thera, who delivered an anusasana at the event, said that he was happy to see the reins of the party being handed over to the leadership council.
The Thera however said that there were still some shortcomings in the newly formed council but expressed confidence that these matters could be rectified in the time to come.
He therefore urged UNP Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa and others to also return and take their place in the leadership council.
Venerable Meetiyagoda Gunaratana Thera, Vene-rable Bopitiye Dhammasara Thera, and Venerable Thiyawala Palitha Thera who also delivered Anusasanas also stressed the need for unity in the party and the need to woo those members who left the party in the past to come back to the fold.
