Despite the Common Candidate Agreement, UNP Plans to Field Own Candidate
Posted on November 21st, 2014

Dilrook Kannangara

Celebrations in the Maithripala Sirisena camp will be short lived as the UNP plans to double-cross the kingmakers and their strategists. UNP has agreed to support this common candidate. However, UNP has no intention of living under a traditional rural SLFP stalwart. UNP’s plan is to get the common candidate to submit his nominations for the presidential election and then field its own candidate under the UNP.

The end result will be both the common candidate and the incumbent will lose as they appeal to the same vote base, and the UNP candidate will emerge victorious.

This is the same strategy the UNP used in early 2000 to defeat the PA. Having lost the 1999 Presidential Election, UNP extended support to the PA government to implement its much talked about political package. Many rounds of talks were held. Unnoticed to Chandrika, the general election date got extended due to these talks. Finally when it came, 11 months had passed and the 1999 election winning momentum was lost by then. UNP refused to support the political package in the last moment. Elections were held but PA failed to win a majority. The PA government collapsed within a year and fresh elections were held. UNP won back it hold on power.

Although disrupting the political package was a wise move, UNP is now using this same strategy to fool both the common candidate and the incumbent.

Maithripala should not be politically naïve and trusting. UNP will never allow a man from Polonnaruwa Or Hambantota to rule over their Colombo elite. Maithripala’s priorities are laughing matters for the UNP. He is only used as an election sacrificial lamb by the UNP to divide the Sinhala vote so the UNP can win the election. Trust these UNP knaves at own risk.

While the inclusive parties are busy signing a common candidate agreement, UNP has been busy for the past two years canvassing for the support of TNA and other minority parties to field its own candidate.

http://www.tamilnewsnetwork.com/2012/05/01/unp-tna-may-day-rally-in-jaffna-fails-to-draw-in-local-support/

14 Responses to “Despite the Common Candidate Agreement, UNP Plans to Field Own Candidate”

  1. Marco Says:

    If i may coin a statement made by our Media Minister Rambukwella today

    “Even conspiracy/gossip theories sometimes becomes a reality”

    Lets wait till 8 Dec shall we..

  2. Ananda-USA Says:

    Dilrook,

    You defended and espoused the actions of the JHU that precipitated the defection of Maitripala Sirisena and other SLFP stalwarts, while I PLEADED with all my might not to UNDERMINE and DEMOLISH the governing PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE because we cannot control what destruction might ensue.

    The situation has now grown out of control from a “Limited Protest Vote” by the JHU to “discipline” the President as, I think, you had hoped for, to a DISINTEGRATION of the ENTIRE PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE that won the war and rapidly developed the nation in the last 5 years.

    Now the Nation is teetering like a ripe mango on the edge of falling into the hands of its Western and Minorities backed ENEMIES, led by the UNP and the TNA.

    This is not what you had intended, it it? I think your WORST FEARS are now being realized as I had warned in vain!

    I hope that as you say “Celebrations in the Maithripala Sirisena camp will be short lived as the UNP plans to double-cross the kingmakers and their strategists” and that these treacherous DEFECTORS will have NEITHER the “Allapu Aththa” NOR the “Payagahapu Aththa” in the NEAR FUTURE! A POX on ALL THEIR HOUSES, I say!

    I still think that the President will prevail, but no longer by a landslide, and the People of Sri Lanka will the PAY THE PRICE of this TREACHERY by their leaders in a progressively weakening government.

  3. Lorenzo Says:

    Interesting!

    Yes. For UNP, MS is a “godaya”, an arts graduate and a backward guy. Like SF. May be MS is the new SF. Lets wait till nominations close on December 8th and see. Only ONE MONTH after that for the election. A very short election.

    Why NO UNP MP was in the MS’s news conference?

    How can MS claim to be the common candidate without ANY UNP leader present?

    We may have a situation.

    But the president can make ALL of them INVALID COINS by scrapping 13 amendment. IF he does that the entire opposition will be like the cat that crapped on a ROCK. Just do it MR.

  4. Ananda-USA Says:

    YES! Whatever the outcome of the Presidential Election, the President and the Nation stands to gain by REPEALING the 13th Amendment, and DISSOLVING the Provincial Councils NOW!

    MUCH of the criticism of MR will vanish overnight, leaving the rats who deserted the ship stranded in the sea, and MR can enjoy the show as they dog-paddle back to the UPFA!

    The only DOWNSIDE to MR is that many of his stalwarts occupying Provincial Council jobs will lose them too. But, they will lose those jobs anyway if the Opposition prevails.

    Therefore, the President should SEIZE this OPPORTUNITY to REPEAL the 13th Amendment, DISSOLVE the Provincial Councils, and introduce a new System of Administration based on DISTRICTS governed by government appointed Government Agents.

    DO IT FAST, DO IT NOW!

    CARPE’ DIEM .. I say!

  5. Lorenzo Says:

    Crossovers and potential crossovers.

    Already crossed over
    Patali Ranawaka
    Maithripala Sirisea
    Ratana Thera
    Janaka Bandara Tennakoon,
    Rajitha Senaratne,
    M.K.D.S. Gunawardhana,
    Rajiv Wijesinghe,
    Wasantha Senanayaka

    The current UPFA seats based on those voted for the budget 149

    Potential crossovers

    Salinda Dissanayake,
    Siripala Gamlath,
    Duminda Dissanayake,
    S.B. Nawinna,
    Nilwala Wijesinghe,
    Neranjan Wickremasinghe,
    Sumedha Jayasena,
    Jagath Rohana Pushpakumara,
    Navin Dissanayake,
    T.B. Ratnayake,
    Vidura Wickremanayake
    Ratnasiri Wickremanayake,
    Dr. Ramesh Pathirana,
    Gunaratne Weerakoon,
    Sarath Kumara Gunaratne,
    Reginald Cooray,
    Sunny Rohana,
    Risath Bathurdeen,
    Faizal Cassim (Ampara),
    M.H.M. Haris,
    Hassan Ali,
    M.M.M. Aslam,
    Rauff Hakeem,
    C.B. Ratnayake,
    Tikiri Kobbekaduwa
    Achala Jagoda

    If they crossover the number of UPFA seats will be 122. Less than Premathasa had.

    A further 10 crossovers will TOPPLE the govt before the presidential election.

  6. Ananda-USA Says:

    Lorenzo,

    You said “How can MS claim to be the common candidate without ANY UNP leader present?”

    I thought this was weird too!

    How can Maithripala announce himself as a “Common Candidate” with only CBK in tow, without UNP leaders at the podium supporting the announcement?

    As we all know, Ranil hates the idea of ANYONE, but himself, being the “Common Candidate”!

    WEIRD! Could be Wheels-within-wheels spinning at high speed!

  7. SenaD Says:

    Lorenzo,

    Re. your “Yes. For UNP, MS is a “godaya”, an arts graduate and a backward guy. Like SF. May be MS is the new SF. Lets wait till nominations close on December 8th and see.”

    Without a serious UNP candidate to garner all the UNP votes and the other candidate (MS) to eat into the SLFP vote base the incumbent probably will get needed 50%+1.

    That might be the plan all along.

    If not, he will have to wait till the last possible moment to make sure he is the only ‘opposition candidate’.

  8. Lorenzo Says:

    Ananda,

    Obviously this didn’t fall from the sky. These MR’s trusted people were PLOTTING and PLANNING behind his back with CBK, UNP, etc.

    SPYING and PHONE TAPPING failed to unearth these developments.

    At least now, MOD should TAP ALL the phones, check emails of EVERY MP, NGO head and former terrorist.

    How much more internal information would have leaked this way!!

  9. Vimutti Says:

    Well, we will see on December 8th, but I think the lack of presence at the podium was to disguise Ranil’s shadow campaign to regain power over the government by weakening the president through the repeal of the 18th Amendment and strengthening the prime minister post that he hopes to occupy through the JHU 19th Amendment.

    He does not want “Ranil” to be the focal point of the January elections (that is a loser!), he wants the focus to be on Maithripala.

  10. Leela Says:

    At elections people either venerate elephant symbol or hates it. If an outsider wants to secure traditional UNP votes, he has to contest with the elephant symbol.

    For obvious reason, Ranil didn’t give Fonseka the elephant symbol. And he didn’t get as many votes as Ranil got in 2005. This time also it seems Ranil doesn’t want to give Maithree the elephant symbol. Consequently, the traditional UNPers may be reluctant to go to the poling booth for Maithree.

    Talking about those who hate the elephant symbol meaning SLFPers and leftists, they will not vote for Maithree for they do not want to make Ranil the executive Prime Minister and face the tunes of 2001-3. Of cause a few Chandrika following geeks will vote for Maithree. In the end the same anti nationals lot who voted SF will rally round Maithree. Hardly enough to be elected as the President.

    About Lorenzo’s list, may be those in the list have given their word to Maithree or whoever but I doubt very much they would join him in the end because the rats jumping the ship want be many. I know one character not in the list, Reginald Coorey has checked his stars from a horoscope reader. But the horoscope reader told him that MR will win and not to leave the party. But Cooray desperately wanted to go.

  11. Marco Says:

    In case readers are not informed
    On the recommendation of the UNP parliamentary and elections committee, the UNP National Executive Committee endorsed and decided to support former general secretary of the Sri Lanka freedom party Maithripala Sirisena as their presidential candidate.

  12. Lorenzo Says:

    An upcountry Tamil MP of UPFA group has left.

    His name is NOT in that list.

    Maithripala said he will make Run-nil the PM. Of course. But the parliamentary election is due in 2016 April or before!

    So Run-nil will be PM for a VERY SHORT time. I don’t think Run-nil’s party will WIN the GENERAL ELECTION. That is where the PM is selected. SOON Run-nill will be REPLACED by the leader of the party that WINS (NOT LOSE) the general election.

    So it is foolish to worry about Run-nil becoming PM in a DISSOLVING parliament.

  13. Marco Says:

    Leela,
    The Elephant symbol can only be used by members of the UNP contesting in elections.(refer to the UNP Constitution)
    Maithripala Sirisena is not a member of the UNP. He was until yesterday a member of the SLFP and wishes to remain so. (MR has now suspended him from the SLFP)

    With respect to the list you referred to, it appears to be (copied) from another blog with warts, bloomers and all.
    Typically ill thought out.

    Ranawaka & Ratana Thera have not crossed over, they have merely left the UPFA Alliance and will support the UPFA on a case by case basis.
    Janaka Bandara Tennakoon has NOT crossed over and still remains a Minister under MRGOSL.
    Duminda Dissanayake has crossed over and stripped of his Ministerial post.

    There is one very Senior Minister (close friend of MS) sitting on the fence, only time will tell.

  14. Christie Says:

    Indian interests are winning at the moment and have managed to divide the local unity. Split the majority to splinters and the minority block will be the winners at last and India will be the winner. I hope not, India has failed with Sarath Fonseka, Mahinda (Mahinda won because of India but Mahinda did not become a puppet of the Indian Empire). Chandrika has been doing the dirty work for India as her family has done.

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