Who is advising Sajith Premadasa to commit Harakiri?

It appears that Mr Sajith Premadasa, the person who was most likely to become the UNP leader the next time round has committed a series of blunders, each compounding on the previous one not to increase the number of his supporters but to decrease them.

While I am certain that the Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe is NOT behind this plot to scuttle the chance he has of leadership, I believe his closest advisors are repeatedly being wrong footed, and advising their charge in the strangest possible way, which then calls into question the ability of a man who listens or takes their advice, and who is unable to make up his own mind, including being pussy whipped!

I am sure his own gut intuitions could have done him more good than ask anyone else for advice as he always does, which has lead to a never ending series of mis-steps. The latest of which was his dragging Buddhika Pathirana to the Parliamentary Group Meeting in the Opposition Leader’s office in Parliament on Thursday 1^st of December 2011. While he put young Buddhika, who has a lot to learn about the Sri Lankan political landscape in the spot, telling him not to get up and leave when asked was by itself trying to scupper any chances the latter may have to extricate himself with some dignity in the soon to be convened disciplinary hearing. So while it is up to Sajith to shoot himself in the foot taking others down with him is bad form.

The UNP leader at an earlier session when Buddhika, who was unaware of the procedure turned up at the parliamentary group meeting, said that an MP who has been suspended and awaiting a disciplinary hearing cannot attend a Parliamentary Group Meeting, as it could prejudice the outcome of the hearing. 

So last time he left with no issue. So why was he forcefully brought in by Mr Premadasa? Well it was because Mr Premadasa instead of bowing to Party rules wanted to question them from the Leader. His point was that if an MP has been suspended by the Party, why was he permitted to vote in Parliament at the budget second reading the day before yesterday? There is a simple and logical answer to that. He has not broken the law of the land, and only alleged to have broken the rules in the internal constitution that he agreed to abide by being a member, he is therefore legally permitted to vote. The party cannot prevent him from doing so.

Obviously Mr Premadasa knew that Mr Wickremasinghe would make this decision and ask Mr Pathirana to leave the office. He then thought with the help of his friends he would be able to wrong foot Mr Wickremasinghe and get him to climb down and be shown to be wrong. It backfired. This because Mr Premadasa with the help of his colleagues who took the same stand were unable to persuade the Leader to let him stay and thereby were able to disrupt the meeting whose primary purpose was to discuss the Party response to the various Government Party actions.

Mr Wickremasinghe to his credit seems to be using his whip not just holding it. He is now insisting on instilling party discipline albeit a little late. So he stood his ground. He had an intransigent member who would not leave his seat when asked to, so he had two options. He would have to ask a security officer to forcibly remove Mr Pathirana, which would have irked a few more people and some of his supporters for that matter, so he took the one that would cause the least resistance namely adjourn the meeting.

The effect was that the Party was not able to sufficiently discuss the order of the day in how to attack the government on the day’s proceedings, and therefore harm their cause and that of the effective opposition to this government. Mr Premadasa therefore by his childish conduct harmed the Party, the Country and the Opposition. He did exactly what he has accused his leader of doing.

The papers then reported that after the adjournment a few of his camp met at Mr Karu Jayasuriya’s Office in Parliament to sulk, as KJ had kept silent throughout the proceedings when Sajith was making a fool of himself. SP’s behavior here has alienated a further number of MP’s. He must in future think through his actions, as otherwise his future will be permanently grounded.

There was more to come, as by this action, the Party Leader was able to accuse Mr Premadasa of conduct unbecoming a UNP member, by ganging up with Tiran Alles and persuading the DNF and the DP to boycott the UNP protest at Hyde Park on Tuesday 29^th November. This meant that Anoma Fonseka was held hostage, and told not to turn up, which meant that she was being used as a pawn in a larger game. Further the proclamation by the DP that they were a coalition with the DNF and so could not go against the DNF rules was hogwash as other constituents did come as did Wickremabahu who is as far apart ideologically from the UNP as anyone can be.

Just think about it, one of the main reasons for the protest was the unfair sentence given to Sarath Fonseka, and his camp was not represented and his wife told not to attend, except for a person in his private capacity who spoke on stage. So as SP was instrumental in making this last minute decision, and a complaint would be lodged with the General Secretary to that effect, he is asking for a Disciplinary Enquiry against his conduct. He is liable to be thrown out and if he is out he has not future outside of the UNP. What is he up to? Surely he cannot force Ranil’s hand by being so foolish! He as I said earlier is being badly advised, so SP’s advisors please desist, and let your man make up his own mind. You must have a mind of your own if you have any hope of leading a Political Party in the future!

So Sajith Premadasa throw your hat into the leadership battle at the next party convention, and do so now, so that you can garner as many votes as possible. Do it the right way before it is too late and before you make any more blunders on your way up. It only adds to the ammunition the Government is collecting on you for when they need it.