Rukman Had Spoken Election Was a Mistake
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The Island Politics Thursday 29th April, 2010 7 ukman Senanayake, the former A. The position has been completely Q. You were a part of the UNP If you talk to ten people, nine would UNP chairman and Assistant devalued. If you talk of the party hierar- reformist group in 2006. However want Sajith to take over. Right now RLeader, was dropped from the chy, it’s the leader, deputy leader assis- when Mr Karu Jayasuriya and those what is happening is that we are losing UNP national list in a move that sur- tant leader, general secretary, and then 18 MPs left, you opted to stay back. even the base we had. We have been prised many. The rumour that flew the Treasurer. So of those on the nation- Now you see that most of those who completely wiped out at the parliamen- around Colombo was that Senanayake al list, I should have been number one. left, are doing very well. They were in tary election and for the party to get had been denied appointment to parlia- But the assistant leader has been exclud- government for four years and most of its confidence back we need a change ment because of a fear that he could ed and some newcomers to the party them have been re-elected. In fact, had of leadership. I am going to do every- become a focal point in a contest for the brought in. all those people remained within the thing possible to make that a reality. opposition leader’s post. In this inter- UNP, more of them would have failed view, C. A. Chandraprema speaks to Q. You say the party leader was keen to get re-elected this time. Do you Q. You were referring to the inter- Senanyake about what could well turn to get you out. What signs did you see of regret not having joined them in 2006? nal situation of the party. What about out to be a career ending event for him. that? A. I have no the external factor? You are faced with A. When the conflict between the the strongest government that we have LTTE and the government was at its seen independence. J.R.Jayawardene Q. The Sunday political columns said height, I took up the position that we as may have had more MPs in parlia- that Ranil Wickremesinghe had rung a party must support the war effort, ment but never the same proportion you and explained his difficulty in giv- because that’s our duty. I took as an of votes. The if you take the ruling ing you a national list seat. What did he example, the way both Dudley family, they are not prone to messing say in justification for keeping you out? Senanayake and J.R.Jayawardene sup- things up on a grand scale. The mis- A. The party leader never called me. ported the Sirima Bandaranaiake gov- You know that he does takes they make are marginal. So you On the day that the national lists were ernment during the JVP insurgency of may not see the popularity of the gov- handed over to the commissioner of 1971. My contention was that if in a not confront people. ernment plummeting in the short elections, at around 10.30 I got a call democracy certain individuals take up “ term. Even if you change the leader- from party headquarters from a party arms to achieve political power, they are His face was just dead ship of the UNP what is the guarantee official, telling me that the leader want- not freedom fighters, but terrorists. that you can win the next election? ed to see me at around 12.30. By 11.00 am There can be freedom fighters in a dicta- pan when I said that. A. In 1970, Mrs Bandarasnaike I heard that the UNP national list had torship, but not in a democracy. The won with a two thirds majority. But been handed over and that my name had stand I took angered the party leader a Then about the Janaka by 1977 we were able to get a five sixth been left out. At 12.30 I called the party lot. He asked me, why are you doing Perera murder, I open- majority… leader and asked him why he wanted to this? And I said “Sir we have to take up meet me since they had already taken a a position like that for the sake of the ly said it was done by Q. But you don’t have the condi- decision. Then he started talking about country”. tions, the economic hardship, the difficulties. I told him that a decision the LTTE. But the party shortages etcetera that led to that sit- has been taken and that he could keep Q. What was his response to that? uation today. my other posts as well. A. You know that he does not con- was trying to foist the A. Our debt servicing payments front people. His face was just dead pan are now bigger than our income, so Q. At the last parliamentary election, when I said that. Then about the Janaka blame on the govern- there can be problems in the future. we saw a kind of resurgence of the Perera murder, I openly said it was done In any case these problems can be uti- Senanayake family. Now there are two by the LTTE. But the party was trying to ment. What I said was, lized against the government only if Senanayakes on both sides of the divide, foist the blame on the government. What there is a powerful opposition. With Wasantha Senanayake in the UPFA and I said was, don’t whitewash the LTTE don’t whitewash the Ranil Wickremesinghe around, we will not have even a fighting chance. LTTE because you are Whatever chance there is to come into power will depend heavily on who is playing with fire. He in control of the party. had later made a com- Q. Some say that you were The whole removed because you did not work for ment to a person the presidential election. What is the “ truth in that? known to me that A. At that time, I openly said that our not contesting the presidential Rukman had spoken election was a mistake. I pointed out that the UNP rank and file suffered country is against him. under the JVP in the late eighties and to go into a joint programme with the JVP was suicidal. Then we dropped our party symbol to which people were emotionally attached. Despite these misgivings, whenever I was asking for asked to go for a meeting, I went. regrets because the UNP is in my Q. You said that you are going to do blood. I have been sidelined because of everything in your ability to see that a person who is not fit to be in politics. there is a leadership change, but you have resigned from all your positions Q. What do you intend doing about in the party. So what is the platform Sajith — Rukman what has been done to you? you now have? A. I don’t know how one can A. I am in touch with members of reverse what has been done to me. But the working committee and the parlia- Chairman of the party and subsequently for the sake of the party, all members mentary group. I also intend going Ruwan Wijewardene in the UNP, but you made assistant leader. When the party because you are playing with fire. He must get together and throw this man around the country and meeting the are out. Where do things stand with you wants me to leave district level politics had later made a comment to a person out. It has to be done, otherwise this party stalwarts in the various districts as of now? and go into national politics, I don’t known to me that Rukman had spoken party is finished. The whole country and explaining matters to them. A. As far as I am concerned, I did expect that to be part of a scheme to cut against him. This was one indication today is asking for Sajith Premadasa. everything for the UNP. This is a party short my career. At this election, I never that he was displeased with me. Then that was founded and nurtured by mem- asked the party leader to put my name since 1994, the party has been deterio- bers of my family from D.S.Senanayke on the national list. It was he who put rating steadily, and I pointed out to downwards. my name on it. If he asked me to con- him that the Sinhala Buddhist vote Velankanni test, I would have contested. After I has gone against us completely. So I Q. Wasn’t it not a mistake to move handed my electorate over to someone told him, that we must go back to the out of electoral politics and accept this else, I can’t take it back – that’s not prop- grassroots level and rebuild this party. (Our Lady of Health) post of assistant leader, in a situation er. However I could have contested from At one point I told him, to share where party office bearers were asked to a different district. So right throughout, power. “You be the opposition leader resign from their electoral organiser- he had it at the back of his mind to cut and let someone else be the party ships and become dependent on the me off.