Nagananda Kodituwakku from London

The need of the hour is to have bold policy inventions by the UNP, paving way to install dynamic, honest, patriotic and magnanimous leader at a time no party has set an example to install a right person in the party leadership. This is the best opportunity to set the record straight and you, being the most incompetent leader in the recent history, are the best the person to take an initiative in the right direction because you have nothing to lose.

On this particular issue, you can learn a lot to learn from other leading democracies, the UK, in particular, where the party leadership selection process is transparent and democratic. Unlike in Sri Lanka in the UK, all competent members in the legislature of the particular allowed to contest in the leadership selection process.

There, if more than two candidates stand, then MPs first hold a series of ballots to reduce the number to two. On each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated. Candidates may also withdraw between rounds. The series of ballots by MPs continues until there are only two candidates remaining. At this point the all-member ballot begins; this lasts for some weeks. To be eligible to vote, an individual has to have been a paid-up member of the party for at least three months. Finally, the candidate who tops the poll is declared the leader.

The whole process is brilliant and it only allows the most fitting person to become the leader. That is how young dynamic David Cameron (conservative) became the leader eliminating most senior leaders in the party such as Kenneth Clarke and David Davis.

This may be the last opportunity for you to vacate the party leadership with some dignity. There may be few competent people in the party with required credentials to contest the party leadership. DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be self-centred any more at a time when country need a rightful leader in the party and donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t hesitate to grab this golden opportunity before you are thrown out of the party. This is right time for you to earn some credit for your contribution in the installation of democratic process in the party leader selection process that may compel other parties to follow.

Nagananda Kodituwakku from London