Thalatha parts with SJB
Is the decision taken at that time without thinking about the future correct?
Is there is an attempt to enact Gotabaya season two?
I wonder whether Sajith is in a hurry to become President
My conscience does not allow me to agree with the desicion for our camp to divide and contest seperately
The Leader of our original party and its Deputy Leader have become political enemies
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Ratnapura District Member of Parliament Thalatha Athukorala announced yesterday in Parliament that she has decided to resign from her Parliamentary seat.
Making a special statement in Parliament, she said that she will never stop her political journey.” I said this with pride and courage at this time. I have no regrets about leaving the position of MP. Today I am facing that crucial moment,” she said.
My brother Gamini Athukorala represented the Nivithigala seat in Ratnapura District for nearly 25 years and acted to protect the supremacy of this Supreme Assembly. I respectfully recalled it and I had to step into politics to fill that gap in an unexpected way due to his demise in 2002.
“Having entered Parliament in 2004, I am addressing this Assembly today from a completely different environment. Today, our country has seriously collapsed economically and has become bankrupt. We as a people faced such a situation for the first time in history. It is at a time when we are facing such economic decline, we have to face a crucial Presidential Election. We must understand that the people have become more empowered after the people’s struggle against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.
“Therefore, I must take a decision on some highly sensitive matter immediately. We should be an example to the country and the people. That decision should be a decision that agrees with my conscience. The decision should also not be against, the mandate given to me by the people of Ratnapura and their future.
“Especially as a female member of parliament, I have been very attentive to the problems faced by women in this country. I also worked as the Chairperson of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender. I have been able to present a proposal to this Assembly regarding the establishment of a programme to take care of the children of working women in all sectors who have children under five years of age. A programme was also introduced in order to eliminate the sexual violence faced by women at the workplace.
“I have gained a true understanding of the pressure subjected to women in this country as well as the challenges faced by women MPs, who are a small number of this House in my 20 years of parliamentary life. Therefore, I declare with great pride and courage that I will not stop my political journey at all. I believe that we have to go a long way for the aspirations of this country. I always with the people of remote villages in Ratnapura district who believed in me and appointed me to this Parliament for more than twenty years.
“This is a very emotional moment for me. On one side, our ‘mother party’ – the United National Party has split into two. Both the leader and former deputy leader of that party have become political enemies. Both are vying to become President. At a time when everyone is trying to unite, I cannot wholeheartedly agree with the decision for our camp to divide and contest separately.”
“I believe that the decision for the two leaders to separate and contest is a selfish political decision taken without thinking about the future of the country. History will prove that in the near future. If I continue to remain silent about it, I will also become an indirect contributor to that sin.” Therefore, I got a decision immediately on this extremely sensitive matter. I believe it is not a decision against the people of Ratnapura and their future.
“I will never stop my political journey and I said that with pride and courage at this moment. I have no regrets of leaving my position as an MP. Today, I am facing that crucial moment and this is the first time I am informing this to the parliament.”
“I do not wish for the party to split even though I won as a candidate of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, I still continue to think whether the decision we took back was the correct decision.” “The thought of whether I contributed to the division of our great party makes me feel sadder than the happiness of the MP position I gained.”
In calling the 2024 Presidential Election, I don’t mind it was not Ranil or Sajith. Are we contesting together in this crucial Presidential Election or contesting separately. I have a good understanding of both of them.
“If we want to win in this Presidential election, it is not practical to contest separately. Today we have faced a new situation.When President Ranil Wickremesinghe kept inviting us to join,I don’t know why Sajith opposed it.Our own leaders have proved the extent of patience while doing politics.
‘The political leaders of this country should learn a lesson from Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Even if you want to get power, you have to think about how to protect it.Two members from the same camp contest for the same election is a foolish work. If our victory is definite together, why it will not be accepted,”she said.
The accusation levelled against Ranil Wickremasinghe is that he lives with thieves. Now Samagi Jana Balawegaya has faced a same situation today. Those who jumped out of the thieve gang now have joined the SJB without hesitation. The original members have really disappointed about this.
Both Ranil Wickremasinghe and Ranasinghe Premadasa have taught us the lesson of patience for the sake of power. I wonder whether Sajith Premadasa is trying to play the second episode of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa era.
Politicians should be at least learn a lesson from Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“Our rulers have practically proved that patience is very crucial in politics. At least we should learn a lesson now. He tries to be the leader at any cost. He never thinks whether it is the right time or the right environment to be the leader and whether he can take responsibility for the consequences if the effort fails and the consequences of such a decision.
I wonder whether that Sajith needs to become a President in an immediate manner. “He never even thinks that he has the leadership qualities for that. While trying to gain power by creating an artificial tendency prematurely, he does not think of a plan or a functional plan. This is not something new in this country. Gotabaya Rajapaksa proved it for real. I wonder whether if he is trying to play the second episode of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The United National Party is 78 years old. Until the 2020, the party could not be broken up in any way. As the most powerful party, the United National Party worked strongly. But for the first time in 1951, former Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike left the party for the first time and formed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Then in 1991, former Minister Lalith Athulathmudali and former Minister Gamini Dissanayake formed the Eagle party against the Elephant, but they were unable to weaken the United National Party. But in 2020, when the vast majority of us left the United National Party as the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the split of the party actually became a reality.
Most of us did not expect the party to split. Three United National Party leaders ruled this country for 17 years from the time the Executive Presidency was introduced in 1978 until 1994. But situation was changed and Ranil Wickremesinghe became the UNP leader due to the death of our Presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake in 1994.
“We lost the victory in 1994 Presidential Election with the demise of Gamini Dissanayake.Ranil Wickremasinghe was the leader of the opposition while Chandrika Bandaranaike was the President. Also, in 1999, Ranil Wickremesinghe defeated to Chandrika Bandaranaike. In 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power. In 1999, Chandrika Bandaranaike lost an eye due to the terrorist attack during the Presidential campaign rally and she came to power based on the sympathy of the people”.
In 2009, Mahinda Rajapaksa won because of the war frenzy spread throughout the country.
In 2010, we fielded Sarath Fonseka and lost. In 2015, Maithripala Sirisena became President. But in 2019, our own deputy leader Sajith Premadasa contested and was defeated again.
The struggle that our party leadership should change has turned into a silent struggle by 2020. As a result of that, Samagi Jana Balawegaya was created and a majority group of MPs left the United National Party and joined it. It was then that the UNP, which could not be divided for 73 years no matter what the challenges were, was divided.
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