Open letter to members of UNP, SLFP and JVP

[b]Open letter to members of UNP, SLFP and JVP[/b]

By Nagananda Kodituwakku - from London

It is generally believed that the people of Sri Lanka are yet to learn a lot about the true democracy and how it works in the interest of the people. In Sri Lanka, it is observed that none of the Members of Parliament belonging to various the political parties or a member of a political partiy has any say in the selection process of the leadership of the political parties they belongs to.

In the United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe continues to hold complete authority in the matter of appointing the members to the executive committee. Similarly, in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) current leader, President Chandrika Kumaratunga decides who should contest the next presidential election and in the Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna (JVP) the process is not clear yet. Basically this is one of the fundamental reasons why Sri Lanka has failed to produce an honest, dynamic, credible leader with a vision to take the country forward.

How the system works in a true democracy

For example, take the party leadership selection process in the Conservative Party, in the United Kingdom (UK). Following the resignation of Michael Howard, who after the last parliamentary general election [unlike Ranil Wickremasinghe who lost the confidence of the voters in number of elections] accepted responsibility for the failure of the Conservative Party and announced that he wishes to step down as the leader of the Party. He now remains as a lame duck leader until a new leader is chosen.

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