Wooing the public on Valentine’s Day

(February 10, Colomvbo, Sri Lana Guardian) The UNP working committee met on Tuesday. General Secretary Tissa Attanayake submitted a report recommending the expulsion of provincial council member Anil Kumara Wijesinghe for violating party discipline. This was endorsed by the working committee which also selected several teams to inquire into allegations that certain pradeshiya sabha members, too, were violating party discipline.

Ranil requested Tissa and Ravi Karunanayake to inform the committee about the party’s new national policy which envisages a bottom-up approach to decision making rather than the top-down approach so far adopted. Tissa said that a wide variety of opinions would be taken into account when finalising the national policy. Ravi explained that the UNP’s local government officials, provincial council members and pradeshiya sabha members will be expected to work towards common goals.

Ranil added that the UNP’s various subcommittees will also be rationalised to work as one. He then spoke about a poster campaign that was on the cards. "The people of this country are finding it difficult to survive," he said. "So, we are kicking off a campaign on February 14 to highlight their suffering. Everyone must participate." "But, Sir, isn’t that Valentine’s Day? asked Thalatha Atukorale. "Is it right to start this campaign on that day?" "Okay, who in this gathering wants to celebrate Valentine’s Day?" asked Ranil, with a smile. Nobody spoke up. "In that case, let’s pile onto the streets on that day and show our love for the people," he concluded.

Image: Ranil and Maithri Wickremasinghe at the launch of Wijedasa Rajapakshe's CD Hiru Sandu Aruna, novel, book of poems, five books on law and website at Water's Edge last Wednesday. (Pic by Frank de Soyza)