* Technology advancement, economic development aimed
* A new political culture emerging in Sri Lanka
* UNP first to become digitised party
UNP Leader President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted his vision of transforming Sri Lanka into a technologically advanced ‘Smart Nation’ and elevating its economy to new heights at the special United National Party (UNP) Convention at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium yesterday.
President Wickremesinghe introduced party reforms for approval from the participants of the Special Convention. The party’s Convention was themed a ‘Smart Country.’
He said the new UNP’s organisational reforms allow the creation of online party organisations, which means one could create social media platforms and act through them. This is envisioned for the party’s future, which should go alongside the rapidly digitalising world.
This reform is thus introduced to digitalise the party towards achieving the status of a ‘Smart Nation’. He asked Convention participants to take up the task of forming an intelligent ‘smart’ party first.
He asked them to convey their proposals and ideas to the General Secretary of the UNP to transform the UNP into Sri Lanka’s first smart political party. He said in about six months, and they could achieve the envisioned smart digital political party status and face democratic elections.
President Wickremesinghe said that in accordance with the Constitution, the Presidential Election is scheduled for next year, followed by the Parliamentary Election and the Provincial Council election in early 2025.
President Wickremesinghe said he hoped to convert the UNP’s headquarters into a digital centre soon. He said that the UNP is a party that looks to the future.
“We are not a political party that dwells in the past. We have given the powers of the party’s Working Committee to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall appoint the Leader, not the Working Committee. The Executive Committee also makes policy decisions. With the digitalisation of the party, the Executive Committee may meet at least once every six weeks. The Working Committee may ensure that the Executive Committee’s decisions are in force.”
He said the new reforms will be in force from January 1, creating a self-governing digitalised political party.
He said he is the leader of the UNP but the President of all parties, whether they are friendly or inimical to the UNP. He said there are places one should politically engage and places where one must act without engaging politically.
“ When I ascended to the Presidency, all political parties stood by me. I had the Prime Minister and Parliament by my side. We continue to preserve that for the benefit of the country. This is where the new political culture has taken form.
Over 40 percent of the people of this country have lost faith in political parties and politicians. Some political parties refuse to accept this.
They think the people are waiting to carry them by their shoulders and raise them to the Presidency. They need to understand the reality and identify and address the problems. We are moving in that direction. Any change should start within, not from outside.
Therefore, I decided that change should occur within me as the President.”
President Wickremesinghe said he would introduce a draft bill prepared by the former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya on Monday, based on the Parliamentary Standards Act of the UK, which is envisioned to address many disciplinary concerns in Parliament concerning the conduct.
The President said that he took over the country to take it forward. “Many people said that this system cannot be changed. Some said I accepted the Presidency to protect the Rajapaksas but I would like to state one thing. I did not go behind then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and ask for the premiership. He requested me to accept the premiership so I accepted it. As the Head of the State when the President requested to accept that responsibility and form a Government, what else could I do.”
President Wickremesinghe said: “I accepted this responsibility to fulfill one noble task. That is to protect all Sri Lankans. We did not have fuel, gas and fertiliser. Everybody is aware of the situation which prevailed in the country those days. We had only US$ 3,500 million in forex reserves.”
However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to give US$ 2.9 billion. Of that US$ 660 million has already been given. The World Bank also gave US$ 1,100 million and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) gave US$ 1,350 million. “At present, we have fuel and fertiliser. We have brought down inflation down to 1.3 percent from more than 70 percent earlier. We could also repay the US$ 200 million loan obtained from Bangladesh. We are also going to repay our loans obtained from India.”
“UNPers are a proud people. They do not like to become debtors. Somehow, we will earn and repay our loans. This is what we have to do right now,” the President said.
UNP’s Colombo North Electorate Organiser Ravi Karunanayaka, General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, Lobour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, UNP Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor- UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardena, UNP Chairman Wajira Abeynayake, Tourism and Land Minister Harin Fernando also spoke.
