Chandrika betrayed the SLFP The President and Parliament must work together to beat international forces

Maithripala Sirisena has a political grudge and his decision to contest is not based on party (SLFP) principles. As I see it, there are not many forces with them.The Common Opposition has the UNP, part of JHU, the Democratic Party and a few other parties

Western Provincial Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga says that the government will win the upcoming presidential election. President Chandrika Bandaranaike who betrayed the SLFP on many occasions. He also said that in the presidential election, they do not have to ‘market’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa as he is a popular figure and has done a yeoman service to the country.

Q There seems to be political instability in the Western Province Council. Some of its members who were with the UPFA crossed over although some returned. What are your thoughts on this?

There is political stability in the WPC. The ‘instability’tag was manufactured by the Opposition. We challenged them to defeat the budget and establish power in the council.Abudget is an opportunity for the Opposition to come up; but they failed to have even a quorum. We had to maintain the quorum through government members. They lost an opportunity to speak on behalf of the people.

According to provincial council laws it is not necessary to defeat the governing party at a budget. If fifty one per cent of council members give in writing of the need to appoint another individual as the chief minister, the governor will take necessary steps to do so. This happened when Reginald Cooray was the chief minister and the UNP along with the JVP submitted in writing a proposal that Nandana Mendis was appointed as the chief minister. But, later they themselves got together and worked for the re-appointment of Reginald Cooray as the chief minister.

Q But after members who secured the highest numbers of votes such as Hirunika Premachandra and Udaya Gammanpila crossed over to support the common candidate, Udaya Gammanpila re joined. Don’t you think these crossovers are detrimental at this point of time?

No. There are 104 members in the WPC. While it comprises 56 UPFA members, the JHU and Democratic Party membership has increased it to 60. Even if the JHU deserts they have

There is a Bribery Commission, the police is there and there is an Audit Department. If there is corruption, why don’t they complain? The fact is they are not willing to accept the development.

clearly said they would not use their votes against us. The Opposition has 44 members and they don’t pose a challenge to the council.

Q It is the ex- general secretary of the SLFP contesting against the president. He is backed by the former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunge. And, there are many other forces associated with them. In this situation, what can you say about the political situation of the country?

Just because leaders change, supporters of the SLFP would not change. This is not the first time Chandrika Bandaranaike betrayed the party. Therefore SLFP voters have no faith in her. Maithripala Sirisena has a political grudge and his decision to contest is not based on party (SLFP) principles. As I see it, there are not many forces with them. The Common Opposition has the UNP, part of the JHU, the Democratic Party and a few other parties. But with the SLFP there are 14 parties. Out of the people who are with the Common Opposition, people like Chandrika Bandaranaike and Arjuna Ranatunga do not have a party. The Common Opposition is doing its campaign only through the media not at grass root levels. Maithripala’s defeat will be higher than Sarath Fonseka’s.

The Common Opposition is not clear in their policies. They started their campaign saying they will abolish the Executive Presidency within 100 days. But today Ranil Wickremesinghe says they would not abolish the Executive Presidency introduced by J.R Jayewardene but the amendments introduced by Mahinda Rajapaksa. Also Maithripala said he would donate money which is to be used for election poster campaigns for the good of kidney patients. The Common Opposition is not stabilised and is highly disorganised. They do not have firm political policies and seem to have joined together solely for money.

Q In 2005, the SLFP had an alliance with the JVP. In 2010 the SLFP had alliances. But at the upcoming elections there seem to be no such alliances. Most of the time the JVP, SLMU and TNA have been the deciding factors in Sri Lankan politics. Do you think the SLFP can succeed without these forces?

Today many Western countries want Ranil back in power to implement previous agreements. To achieve that Maithripala became a pawn. Many forces which were with the Opposition are with us.

The 2005 election was one of the toughest elections we faced. Even Chandrika Bandaranaike told us not to support Mahinda Rajapaksa. She sent messages through my father ordering not to support Mahinda Rajapaksa as he will lose the election. Many senior ministers did not work for the election. But people had faith in the president. By that time Ranil Wickremesinghe had an agreement to give a separate unit to the LTTE when he was the Prime Minister. If Ranil won at that time the Northern Province would have been under the LTTE now.

The 2010 election was also a difficult one. It was right after the war and former Army commander contested from the Opposition. He had the fullest support from the JVP. Many other political parties such as the SLMC and the TNA worked for him.

PIX SAMANTHA PERERA

Still we managed to win with a majority. Today many Western countries want Ranil back in power to implement previous agreements. To achieve that Maithripala became a pawn. Many forces which were with the Opposition are with us. Therefore we will win without much trouble.

Q If the SLFP is not worried about a victory why would they spend a huge amount of money on advertising? More than previous elections we see a greater volume of posters, banners and cut-outs.

It is not the government or the president who spend money on election camaigns. We start our campaigns a long way before the election. When we told people that we will be commencing the campaign it is the people who printed posters and made cut-outs. We also contributed the way we can. We do not have to ‘market’ President Rajapaksa for his victory. He is popular. He has clearly instructed us to remove cut-outs and limit them only to party offices. We have not acted against election laws.

Q The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has announced they would support President Rajapaksa. When such an organisation supports the president, don’t you think it would make people wonder?

We did not have any agreements with the BBS. The only thing they said was to cast votes for a Sinhala Buddhist. In that case Maithripala is also a Buddhist. But they do not support him as the TNA which is the political face of the LTTE. But why not talk about the JHU? In the Beruwela incident it was the JHU who went in there first; the BBS followed. This is the truth many are not aware of.

Q Your family has been with SLFP throughout. But your brother Arjuna has taken a different stance. What can you say about it?

Myself and my younger brother Ruwan were engaged in politics with our father. My father is someone who protected the party and the government. He stood with the party amidst many injustices. In 1977 our house was set on fire by the UNP. They even stabbed my father and he had a narrow escape. More than myself my elder brother should remember this. At every election we had many issues.

In 1994 Chandrika Bandaranaike told me to contest instead of my father, an invitation I declined. Though he won in 1994 he was not given a ministerial post though he won. When I was the Gampaha district leader I was not invited to the stage at election meetings in Gampaha. I, along with Arjuna distributed leaflets at the meetings although I was not given an opportunity to speak. Once she invited my father to accept a ministerrial post and sent him back saying she has to given the post to Hakeem. When my father was trying to break the monopoly in paddy purchasing and buy direct from sellers, Maitripala along with Chandrika stopped him. Being aware of these incidents I do not know how Arjuna gets on to the same stage on which Chandrika and the UNP appear.

Q The Opposition charges the government is corrupt. They also say the government focused on development projects that are related to high payments of commissions. Do you accept this?

There is a Bribery Commission, the police is there and there is an Audit Department. If there is corruption, why don’t they complain? The fact is they are not willing to accept the development.

The Opposition has nothing to complain about. Because Maithripala Sirisena was a minister of this government, he should also be a part of corruption the Opposition is talking about.

Q Former minister Champika Ranawaka at the launch of his publication “Aalapalu Arthikaya” has said that the loan taken to construct the Puttalam coal power plant is transferred to the Lanka Coal Company. This means it is the public who pay the loans. Isn’t that corruption?

He should have mentioned these facts when he was the Minister of Power and Energy. Also even countries which are more developed than us have electricity interruptions. But now we have electricity without interruptions. Today ninety- five per-cent of this country has electricity.

These are mere sayings to gain political advantages. If such injustices occur as the minister said, he should have taken steps to correct them.

Q There is a rumour that you will resign from the chief minister’s post to join as the Cabinet that Udaya Gammampila will be appointed as the chief minister. Is it true?

When Udaya Gammampila left the UPFA, the provincial council lost three votes. The UNP attempted to give the chief minister’s post to Udaya and establish their power in the council.

But he refused and he told me that he had done so.At that point I told him I would step down and pave the way for him. In fact I told him he does not have to join UNP to be the chief minister and that I have no issues working under him.

When he rejoined, I told him I was willing to step down which he again refused. He will be contesting the next Parliamentary Election at which I will extend my fullest support to him.

If my leadership decides that I should contest a Parliamentary seat, I would do so. I cannot take decisions as an individual.

Q Do you think the Executive Presidency should be abolished?

For now it should be there. The Executive President and the Parliament must work together to beat international forces.