UNP (D) slams UNP’s insensitive attitudes

Rasika SOMARATHNA

COLOMBO: The UNP (D) group asserted yesterday, that the insensitive approach of the present UNP leadership, to public opinion on issues of national importance, had alienated the party from the common man.

Minister Rajitha Senarathna addressing the media said if the trend continues the UNP’s reputation as being one of the two major mainstream political parties would be at stake.

The decision taken by Ranil Wickremesinghe to boycott the National Day events is one such example of being insensitive to popular perception of Sri Lankan polity, the Minister noted.

He also pointed out that such national events was not the property of any ruling party but a National event which should be cherished by all Sri Lankans without any political affiliations.

Without realising this fact the UNP today has resorted to organising a lecture with a handful of spectators in attendance as their independence day celebrations, he added.

Referring to a recent public opinion survey published in the Sunday Times, Senaratne pointed out that public conception on the present political leadership had been amply demonstrated in the published results, with President Mahinda Rajapaksa standing head and shoulders above others, among the present political leaders according to results.

Referring to the recently unveiled APRC proposals, Senaratne noted that the President had pledged to fully enact the 13th amendment which even the LTTE leader Prabhakaran had agreed during the “Thimpu” talks, by consenting to the proposals with 18 other armed Tamil groups at that time.

He said the Government would take steps to enact APRC proposals without much delay while asserting that committees deliberations was a continuing process in search of a permanent political solution to the ethnic conflict.