UNP reverting to its capitalist past - Prelate

Asela Kuruluwansa

Vestiges of UNP’s old policy of sidelining talented people is still evident within the party, said the Most Ven Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter. The UNP had many capitalist features at its inception but the common man in the village received recognition in the party during the tenure of President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

However the party had once again shown signs of going back to its old policies, he said.

The Mahanayake Thera expressed these views delivering an anusasana when UNP Parliamentarian Ranjith Maddumabandra called on him and received his blessings on Sunday morning.

The Mahanayake Thera said a majority of members of the UNP Working Committee were well past the age of 60.

Maddumabandara later called on the Most Ven Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter at the Asgiriya Viharaya and received his blessings.

The Asgiriya prelate in an anusasana said he had advised Hambantota District Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa to wait patiently till party positions come to him without trying to chase after them.

In doing so he should take a leaf from the lives of late Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake and late President J R Jayewardene, he said.

The Prelate who admitted that people were facing certain economic difficulties at present said that they have ample opportunities to lighten the burden on their purse by growing their own vegetables and fruits in their homegardens.

Maddumabandara said the UNP had a group of talented youth committed to strengthen the party.

Although the UNP Interim Working Committee made appointments for four major party posts, he was denied the opportunity to become its national organizer as proposed at the Working Committee meeting.