Ranil needs more time to appoint Deputy Leader: Tissa A

• UNP Leader to hold discussions with Sajith and others before reappointment

By Dharisha Bastians

Fears of fresh internal battles within the main Opposition emerged after the Working Committee deferred the reappointment of Sajith Premadasa as the party’s Deputy Leader on Monday, but UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake underplayed the issue saying the hold-up was because the leadership wanted more time to discuss and mull over the reappointment.

Addressing a media conference in Colombo yesterday Attanayake said that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had held wide ranging discussions on every reappointment recommended to the Working Committee for ratification.

“In the case of the deputy leadership also, the UNP Leader wants more time discuss the matter with all parties, including the nominee,” Attanayake explained.

Responding to questions from media personnel regarding whether the UNP Leader considered Premadasa unsuitable for the position, Attanayake said that it was not a matter of unsuitability, but it was necessary to ensure that all office bearers toed the party line.

“The Leader holds broad discussions with all the nominee office bearers about the tasks assigned to them, how effective they have been in implementing party policy and so on,” Attanayake said.

The General Secretary said that it was necessary that all office bearers realise that every party member must speak in one voice and work for the common good of the UNP.

The UNP Working Committee, which is the party’s apex body, ratified the re-appointments of Joseph Michael Perera and Daya Gamage as Assistant Leader and National Organiser respectively, but deferred a decision on Premadasa’s re-appointment.

Issues had been raised regarding Premadasa’s lack of involvement in party activities like the membership drive, his individualistic political campaigns, and especially the issue of his choosing to obtain time from the TNA to speak at the impeachment debate in Parliament last week, sources present at Monday’s meeting told the Daily FT.

Premadasa, who was an ex-officio member of the Working Committee by virtue of his position as Deputy Leader, ceases to be a member of the party’s apex body following the deferral of his reappointment.

However, the Daily FT learns that Premadasa’s reappointment is likely, but will be made only after certain assurances are obtained from the Hambantota District MP with regard to his commitment to party activities.

A proposal was also made to appoint more than one deputy leader on a regional basis at Monday’s meeting, sources said.

“The Leader recommends the reappointment and the Working Committee ratifies it. In this case, Wickremesinghe said he needed more time for discussions and consideration about the position and the Working Committee decided to allow that time,” the UNP General Secretary said.

In December last year, the UNP adopted constitutional amendments that granted sweeping powers to its Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, including a six-year term in office and the power to reappoint all other office bearers on an annual basis.

This amounted to a repeal of a former amendment to the Party’s Constitution that made provision for the election of the Leader and key office bearers every year, brought about as a result of a concerted effort by the UNP reformists group.