B’day boy Ranil is destroying UNP - Wimal

With his latest move to continue as UNP Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe is systematically destroying the party, National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa alleged yesterday.
After wishing the leader of the opposition a happy birthday, Weerawansa at a media conference, went onto declare that the UPFA will witness a great victory in the upcoming Western Province elections. “Ranil Wickremesinghe has suffered 18 defeats and we hope this trend continues,” he continued. “He is systematically undermining the other leaders in the party and the people know this. The Western Province which has traditionally supported the UNP, will now stand by the UPFA- the party that took the nation forward.”

* UPFA confident of Western Province victory
* Campaign
underway to
attract UNP supporters says Dullas Transportation Minister Dulles Allahaperuma, said that thousands of former UNP supporters have already declared their intention to back the UPFA. “We’ve seen five thousand supporters in the Kalutara district during one meeting alone, who were former UNP supporters. So apart from our usual campaign which we will kick off on the April 4, there are special programmes designed to attract former UNP supporters.”
Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva added that the door-to-door campaigning undertaken by the UPFA has provided them with interesting feedback. “Many constituents who have witnessed the internal conflict in the UNP, have pledged their support to us, or have declared that they do not intend to vote at all.
Many of the voters were expecting Ranil to be out. But since the leadership hasn’t changed they do not have faith in the party.”
He said that 30 years of politics have taught them that if there is conflict in the party, the party loses votes. “The people know that there is a big conflict within the UNP. We don’t see a proper political campaign from the UNP. There is no election fight. They must get their act together if they want to retain their supporters. These are all good political lessons.”
‘Don’t blame the President for internal issues’ – Allahaperuma tells UNP
The UNP has a clear internal conflict fuelled by the two warring groups within the party, Transportation Minister Dulles Allahaperuma said. “However, the message taken to the public by Ranil Wickremesinghe is that the President is responsible in breaking the party. We deny these allegations. If the UNP is looking for a party to blame, they must look within Sirikotha and not point fingers at the powers in the Temple Trees.”
“The only party the President wants to destroy is the LTTE, the vicious terrorist organisation that has been destroying our country for the last thirty years,” he stated. “We do not want to see the UNP destroyed. However if they continue thus under Ranil’s lackluster leadership, the party will become obsolete within the next ten years,” NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa added. “It is a shame because they are a party with an illustrious history.”