Accept responsibility collectively without blaming each other : Attanayake
I will not hesitate to accept responsibility for any shortcomings that might have taken place on my part
Efforts made by us to come up once again will destroyed if we keep on pointing fingers at each other without accepting responsibility collectively
One should accept responsibility for the electoral defeat of New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate Sajith Premadasa at the recent Presidential election collectively without pointing fingers at each other, former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said over the weekend.
Mr Attanayake who actively backed Mr Premadasa at the Presidential election said in a statement that pointing fingers at each other will destroy the efforts made by those who supported Mr Premadasa to come up once again. “Efforts made by us to come up once again will destroyed if we keep on pointing fingers at each other without accepting responsibility collectively,” Mr Attanayake said.
“I will not hesitate to accept responsibility for any shortcomings that might have taken place on my part,” he added.
Responding to a statement made by the current UNP
General Secretary
Akila Viraj Kariyawasam that the finances were handled by the Vauxhall
Street campaign headquarters of Mr Premadasa, Mr Attanayake said finances were handled by a committee headed by Former Minister Malik Samarawickrama.
He said some of the funds which the party received was not spent for the campaign. “A person such as Mr Kariyawasam who holds the position of a General Secretary of a party should not make statements in an irresponsible manner,” he said.
Also, he said the Vauxhall Street Headquarters was managed by Mr Samarawickrama who was the manager of the Vauxhall Street office while Mr Kariyawasam and Former Chairman of the Party Kabir Hashim together with Mr Samarawickrama were given the task of steering the campaign. He said Imthiaz Bakeer Markar got involved voluntarily following a request made by Mr Premadasa himself. Further, Mr Attanayake alleged that indirect influence was inflicted on the Vauxhall Street office not to summon district managers and organisers of the party.