UNP Moratuwa MC quits party and joins SLFP

Moratuwa United National Party Municipal Councillor Deepal Rodrigo yesterday stepped down from the party and obtained membership with the SLFP.

He said that he has resigned from the UNP membership and the membership of the Moratuwa Municipal Council. "From today I will actively engage myself in political work of the SLFP.

"I submitted my resignation letter to Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday" Rodrigo told reporters at a media briefing held at North-East Governor's office in Colombo.

He said the UNP leadership had sent him a charge sheet following a statement made by him at the monthly meeting of the Municipal Council where he described Ranil Wickremesinghe as the most unsuccessful leader in the UNP's history who was continuously defeated at 12 elections and that he should not hold the party leadership any more.

He had also called for a party convention to be summoned and for a secret vote to be held to decide where Ranil Wickremesinghe should continue to hold the party leadership. Despite several months having passed this request has not yet been fulfilled. Nearly 80 per cent of UNP membership has rejected the present Leadership," he said.

Meanwhile, the North-East Governor Tyronne Fernando said under the present UNP Leadership the party has already lost a large number of senior politicians and its members. The UNP losing this kind of young politicians is a great lost to the party.

He said that due to the injustice caused to him by the UNP leadership, he resigned from the party and joined the SLFP by extending his fullest cooperation to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga." Therefore, I am happy with this decision taken by Deepal Rodrigo even belatedly."

Meanwhile, in a media release issued by Deepal Rodrigo yesterday the ex-UNPer stated that Ranil Wickremesinghe can be described as leader who had lost several prominent leaders and most senior politicians for the UNP. Due to his leadership, the UNP has lost several senior UNP politicians such as Tyronne Fernando, Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Wijayapala Mendis, A. M. S. Adikari, Susil Munasinghe and Rohitha Bogollagama.

"I entered politics because of the new political trend conducted in Moratuwa under the leadership of Tyronne Fernando. I who entered into politics in Tyronne Fernando's footsteps was one of the Chairmen of the first National Youth Front of Moratuwa Balamandalaya. I was also a Co-treasurer of the National Youth Front elected by an all island vote."

"I was even hospitalised at a shooting incident during the Janabala Meheuma in 2001 with a view to make Ranil Wickremesinghe the Prime Minister. I am a youth of 34 years who was elected to the Moratuwa Municipal Council obtaining a majority of votes from Moratuwa at the 2002 Local Government Elections," the release said.

The release further said that the UNP Leader had sent this charge sheet urging that I have made comments to the media criticising his leadership. Since he is a Leader who only pays lip service to democracy, but do not practise it, I have no option rather than express my view to the media. The UNP Leader who pledged support to the Government on national issues is now shirking that duty. His only dream is to become the President of Sri Lanka.

"In such a situation, there is little purpose in joining with an unsuccessful Leader like Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Is this the way that the UNP Leadership treat young politicians like me? Youth have no future under the present leadership. Therefore I decided to resign the party membership and join the SLFP by following in the political foot steps of North-East Governor Tyronne Fernando."