Let Us All Unite to Defend the Country’s Sovereignty

Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a united effort to protect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, saying the country must come together as it did when an independent Sri Lanka was created in 1946.

Wickremesinghe, a former president and leader of the United National Party, made the remarks in a message marking the party’s 80th anniversary. The anniversary event took place at the party headquarters in Sirikotha, Pita Kotte, with representatives of opposition parties attending.

He said the party was founded on September 6, 1946, by a group including D. S. Senanayake. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike chaired the meeting at which Senanayake was proposed as leader. Wickremesinghe noted that although the founding members are no longer present, their children and grandchildren continue to work with the party, as do descendants and political successors associated with other parties.

The anniversary program will continue with events including the commemoration of J. R. Jayewardene’s 120th birthday on September 17 and a convention in December. Wickremesinghe said the convention would begin a modern United National Party, with new ideas and new faces suited to building a Sri Lanka fit for the 21st century. The theme of the anniversary is sovereignty.

Wickremesinghe linked that theme to the country’s constitutional history. He said the 1972 Republican Constitution placed sovereignty in the hands of the people, while the 1978 Constitution stated that sovereignty belongs to the people and cannot be alienated. He warned that the greatest threat to the current system was the failure to recognize popular sovereignty and said his party opposed the 22nd Amendment because it did not state that a referendum was required.

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Let us all unite to protect the country’s sovereignty, just as everyone came together to create an independent Sri Lanka in 1946.