Time for retrospection

Every defection was a time for introspection and after the defection of 65 elected members from the UNP, it is time for retrospection. Whither the UNP? There is no purpose in doling out selfgratifying statements such as ‘the UNP is the single strongest party’ and ‘the people are always behind the party’ after every defection. The people themselves are gradually losing faith in the UNP, because every member they elect from the party defects to the government. The UNP hierarchy doesn’t seem to understand this fact and vindictiveness within the party continues unabated. History has strange ways of repeating itself and it won’t be long before the UNP leader is unseated from his exalted position of the ‘leader of the opposition’ and relegated to a backbench, similar to what happened to the leader of the SLFP in 1977.