Can Harin revive down-and-out UNP?

THE controversial yet energetic politician Harin Fernando assumed the newly created post of the Deputy General Secretary of Political Mobilisation of the United National Party (UNP) last Monday.

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The former Minister of Sports has been associated with both the resurgence and downfall of the grand old party in the past. The UNP hierarchy expects Fernando to reorganise its leadership and strengthen grassroots political activities across the country ahead of future elections.

It was Fernando who set the foundation for the UNP to come back into power in 2015 after the party had been in the political wilderness for almost a decade. The then opposition MP in 2014 took the brave and courageous move to resign from the Parliament and contest for the Chief Ministerial post of Uva province to challenge the authoritarian Rajapaksa regime at a time when everyone thought that it was impossible to dislodge the then powerful Rajapaksa family.