UNP’s Astounding Complacency & Sirisena’s Callous Disregard For Government Functions

By Rasika Jayakody –JANUARY 23, 2019

Rasika Jayakody

President Maithripala Sirisena sent a strong message to the UNP when he took a group of SLFP MPs with him as part of the Presidential delegation while on an official visit to the Philippines this month.

Accordingly, Dilan Perera, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Nishantha Muthuhettigama, Sarathi Dushmantha Mithrapala, Lakshman Perera, Angajan Ramanadan and Sriyani Wijewickrama were the recipients of an textravagant holiday in the Philippines at the expense of the taxpayer.

The President’s actions indicated to the UNP that he remained unrepentant about his decision to oust Ranil Wickremesinghe from the Premiership on October 26, 2018. He also demonstrated his callous disregard for the UNP and its Cabinet ministers whom he appointed in December 2018, after the constitutional coup he instigated backfired.

But can the UNP blame the President for acting in absolute contempt of the party? Certainly not. In fact, the UNP that earned this treatment by acting in an opportunistic and expedient manner after the reinstatement of the Prime Minister and the UNP-led government nearly a month ago.

The UNP did not raise objections to the lambasting speech by the President after the re-appointment of Wickremesinghe on December 16, 2018. Several prominent UNP ministers who were highly vociferous during the political turmoil pandered to the President’s irrational behavior by passing off his jibes as “mere critical remarks.”

They lauded UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa—who colluded with Sirisena in this ignominious exercise—as a “noble peacemaker”. They craftily turned a blind eye to the fact that Premadasa’s ‘puppet masters’ were the same people who advised Sirisena during the 51-day political turmoil.

During the 51-day battle for the restoration of a legal government, the UNP repeatedly promised they would hold President Sirisena and other co-conspirators accountable for their actions. They also demanded the appointment of a parliamentary committee to probe “black media “ that supported the  chain of unconstitutional actions and the functioning of an illegal government.

Ironically, on the day of Wickremesinghe’s re-appointment, Sajith Premadasa subserviently reassured Sirisena that there would not be an attempt by the UNP to bring an impeachment motion against the President. By making this statement, Premadasa quashed the hopes of all pro-Democratic forces that took to the streets against the President’s unconstitutional and despotic conduct. Without stopping at that, some UNP State Ministers did a 180-degree turn and stood on the side of “Black Media”, unabashedly defending its conduct.