Sri Lanka The United National Party Returns to Power Population, Social Statistics, Political System (original) (raw)
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Sri Lanka The United National Party Returns to Power
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Source: The Library of Congress Country Studies
After Dudley Senanayake died in 1973, a struggle for the leadership of the UNP ensued between his nephew, Rukman Senanayake, and Junius Richard (J.R.) Jayewardene, a more distant relative. Jayewardene had been involved in politics for years, having been elected to the State Council, the parliament's colonial predecessor, as early as 1943. A leader of the UNP since independence, Jayewardene had deferred to the Senanayake family. But in 1970, when the UNP suffered a resounding defeat to the United Front, Jayewardene became more assertive. His party manifesto--_The UNP in Opposition, 1970_--contended that the majority of Sri Lankans perceived the party as the party of the "haves, the affluent, and the employers." He also contended that the people had come to perceive the SLFP as the party of the "have nots, the needy, and the unemployed." Jayewardene moved forcefully to refurbish UNP's image and announced that the party would inaugurate an era of a just and righteous (dharmishta) society. After becoming president of the party, Jayewardene began to restructure the UNP and make the party more attractive, especially to young people. By the time of the general election of 1977, Jayewardene had developed an extensive grass roots party organization.
Data as of October 1988
NOTE: The information regarding Sri Lanka on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sri Lanka The United National Party Returns to Power information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sri Lanka The United National Party Returns to Power should be addressed to the Library of Congress.