UNP should’ve taken a leaf out of Conservative Party’s book

The United National Party (UNP) should have taken a leaf out of the book of the UK’s Conservative Party which corrected its mistakes and emerged victorious at the end, its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told his party’s Pradeshiya Sabha members at Sirikotha yesterday.

“Results of several surveys conducted on the presidential election came prior to the poll. According to them, SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ahead. We should have scrutinised these reports in order to determine where we were weak. The Conservative Party in the UK conducted surveys before the election and rectified shortcomings. In the end, it emerged victorious. This is an important lesson for the UNP. It is essential to rectify our shortcomings,” he said, while agreeing to any change within the party, provided all members came up with one single proposal on reforms.

“The UNP needs new leadership. A new generation of leaders should emerge. We will not be in the UNP forever. The party should be made a strong political force by 2025. We should start that exercise now. I have already informed the party that I don’t intend to be the leader forever. Everyone should get together and come up with one plan for the party’s future. Give me a collective plan and I will work accordingly. I have called for a change in the party’s constitution as well. I am not willing to accept reform proposals that come from individuals and certain groups in the party. Some wonder as to what we are going to do about the general elections. We can get a good result if we work effectively. It will be possible to win around 110 seats at the elections if we coordinate with other parties in the opposition. Some have got discouraged thinking it is difficult for us to win the general elections. What I am saying is that we have to take to the streets and campaign. We need to work in unity or else we are not going get the desired results,” he said.

“The organisers who say they cannot go to electorates should resign and give others the opportunity. We need to visit temples and churches. We cannot be successful without the support of monks and those in the middle-class. We cannot go forward without the support of the youth. The challenge before the party is to regain the support of these groups,” he said. (Yohan Perera)