by Saman Indrajith

The dispute over Sihala Urumaya (SU) national list nominee ended yesterday following the party’s Central Committee meeting which resulted in the resignation of eight committee members and the appointment of the party’s general secretary Tilak Karunaratne as SU’s representative in parliament.

The Central Committee meeting held at party headquarters at Narahenpita dragged on for hours as members "argued for power but not for compromise."

Party President S.L.Gunasekara, Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake, Herman Malinga Gunaratne, Dr. Ranjani Ratnapala, Colonel Anil Amarasekera, Major General Tilak Paranagama, Prof. A.V.D.S. Indraratne and Gamini Perera said that they had resigned from the party following the meeting which was attended by 17 central committee members.

"We cannot work with some of the members of the party. Best thing is to leave them to go ahead and mind our own business," Mr. Gunasekara said.

"Last Thursday majority of the party members nominated me as party representative in the parliament. But some unbending voices of the party wanted to change this and said there would be a major force against my appointment. We discussed the issue but there was no alternative but to resign from the party as others raised a question over my religion," he added.

"There is no such force against Mr. Gunasekara. This situation was created by that the terrorist movement in the party," Prof. Indraratne alleged.

Mr. Karunaratne after the meeting told media representatives that the party and its ideologies will go ahead despite the resignation of some of its "individuals."

He said that a special central committee meeting was summoned to solve the issue over sending a party member to the parliament. "There were three proposals; Mr. Gunasekara, National Organiser of the party Mr. Patali Champika Ranawaka and myself. As the committee decided to give equal opportunities to all three members to represent the party in rotation in the parliament, Mr. Ranawaka withdrew. Then Mr. Gunasekara and others resigned arguing that the first opportunity should be given to him. But, Mr. Ranawaka and the Sangha were against it. Finally they resigned," he said.

Mr. Karunaratne will take the seat in parliament on behalf of the SU, but they have not yet decided who will take the next session or will they adhere to committee’s decision to represent the party in rotation.

Asked about the probable consequences of the resignation of eight leading members Mr. Karunaratne said, "It’s a big blow. But they are individuals. We have to listen to the majority."

Asked to comment on the religious issue raised during the meeting, he answered, "Mr. Gunasekara is an atheist, not a Buddhist, a Catholic or a Christian. A leader with such a background is not welcomed at grassroot level since it is alien to our culture. People could take him as an alien," he said.