Ranil: Time is up to set up a precedence in the leadership selection process
sinna
leaders in the mainstream political parties. This has caused
tremendous damage to the growth and image of the nation, whilst other
nations in the region have earned tremendous growth.
The, need of the hour is have bold policy inventions by all political
parties paving way to install honest, patriotic and magnanimous
leaders in the leadership of political parties. There is no point
blaming the people for election of criminals, fraudsters and all sorts
of other anti-social elements to the Parliament. It is the corrupt
party leadership of the respective party that should take full
responsibility for setting bad precedence by allowing anti-social
elements to become elected to the Parliament.
On paper Sri Lanka is a democracy. Yet, in the party leader selection
process, none of the political parties, including the JVP, follow a
transparent democratic leadership election process. This is the right
time that someone takes an initiative to put the record straight
forcing other parties to follow. I believe the current UNP leader,
Ranil Wickramasighe, who will candidly concede that he is not a
dynamic leader, is the most fitting person who can set an example
because he has nothing to loose.
On this particular issue, there is a lot to learn from leading
democracies, the UK, considered the mother of all democracies, where
party leader selection process is fully transparent and democratic. In
the UK any elected member who believe that he has the required
qualities, such as a clear vision and character to command the
particular party is allowed to enter into selection process.
For instance, in the Conservative party, the leadership contest is
initiated either by the incumbent leader resigning or by passing a
vote of no confidence in the present leader. The latter is called if
15% of the Parliamentary Party writes to the Chairman of the party. If
a vote of no confidence is upheld, a leadership election is called and
the incumbent is barred from standing in it.
If only one candidate stands then he is elected as the leader
[uncontested]. 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 is 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. 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 party leader. That is how young dynamic David
Cameron became the leader eliminating most senior leaders in the party
such as Kenneth Clarke and David Davis.
In my view Ranil is the most fitting person to initiate action in the
right direction forcing other parties to follow. Leadership election
process may allow not only elected members but other the patriotic
leaders, who hitherto refused to enter mainstream politics, to stand.
And by doing the right thing not only he allow most fitting person to
become the party leader, his name will also be remembered for his part
in the process of installing true democracy in Sri Lankan party
politics