Towards a new era of national resurgence

Uditha Kumarasinghe

The National Freedom Front(NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa MP says it is only by voting for the betel leaf symbol at the upcoming provincial council election, that present victories achieved by the country could be preserved and taken forward . In an interview with the Daily News he said the Government with the help of all patriotic forces has been able to successfully defeat LTTE terrorism.

Q:Why did the National Freedom Front (NFF) decide to extend its support to the Government at this juncture?

A:Being in the Opposition, we extended our support to the Government at the previous budget. If the 12 NFF members were in the JVP, twelve of us would have also voted against the 2009 Budget following the decision taken by the JVP Leadership. At the third reading of the 2009 budget, the Government had only 126 votes.

If the 12 NFF members also voted against, this number would have been reduced to 114 votes. Karu Jayasuriya would have also crossed over to the UNP at that time.

Then the total number of Government votes would have been come down to 113 creating an environment conducive to several other Government members to cross over to the Opposition. Therefore the 12 NFF members decided to extend our support to the budget by considering it as a support we extend to the ongoing military victories.

Conspiracy

If we did not extend our support, there was a possibility of the Government being defeated.

If this Government collapsed, our war heroes would not have been able to capture Paranthan, Kilinochchi or Mullativu. After Karu Jayasuriya crossed over to the UNP, it was clear that the international conspiracy launched against this Government had assumed serious proportions.

These elements attempted to create political instability in the country to obstruct to these military victories achieved by our heroic Armed Forces. This was clearly witnessed through Karu Jayasuriya’s cross over to the UNP. Therefore, the NFF decided on a crucial political step to change this situation and join hands with the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) with three objectives in mind.

One of our objectives was to turn 2009 as the year of war heroes and defeat the conspiracies launched to undermine the military victories.

The other objective was to take forward our motherland which was won by our valiant soldiers to a new era of national resurgence.

The NFF signed a MOU with the UPFA Government based on these three objectives.

Otherwise we did not expect any portfolios or perks from the Government.

Q: On what basis did the NFF decide to extend its support to the Government at the upcoming polls in North Western and Central provinces?

A: Ten NFF candidates are contesting the Provincial Council election in these two provinces under the UPFA banner. At this juncture, we tell the public that the country has been brought to the position of successfully defeating the LTTE terrorism which certain elements claimed that the Government was unable to fulfill.

The people gave a mandate to the Government at the 2005 Presidential Election to fulfill this task. In the way the people gave their mandate to this Government to defeat LTTE terrorism, they have also given their mandate to this Government to rebuild this country which certain elements claimed it was unable to do so.

The initial step towards this mandate will be created through the Provincial Council elections to be held in the Central and the North Western Provinces.

Therefore we urge the people in these two provinces to vote for the betel leaf to further ensure the struggle launched to safeguard the country and give their preference votes to the UPFA candidates who are capable of taking this country along the correct path.

Patriotic force

Except by voting for the betel leaf, there is no other way to ensure the struggle launched to safeguard the country and take it on the correct path.

At present a huge patriotic force has rallied round the UPFA including the NFF. Therefore we will be fully dedicated to the victory of the UPFA.

Q: At present various local and international pressures have been exerted on the Government regarding the ongoing military operations. What is your comment?

A: At present no country wants the Government to stop the war. Because they are well aware that there is nothing to stop now as the Government has achieved all the military victories. Now certain countries are attempting to make an opportunity to allow Prabhakaran to escape.

Military victories

This Government will never fall into that trap by allowing Prabhakaran to escape from this country.

When the Indian Foreign Minister, Indian Foreign Secretary or any other foreign dignitary wish to visit Sri Lanka, the Government is not in a position to tell them not to come. The Government has no intention whatsoever to turn back these military victories achieved by our Armed Forces or take any move which will cause any harm to the country’s territorial integrity.

Our valiant soldiers have been able to successfully defeat LTTE terrorists. Therefore, the Government is in a very strong position today to defeat terrorism. Therefore, the Government does not want to be subject to any international pressure at this moment.

Q: Do you think that some political parties sympathetic to the LTTE are undermining the military victories achieved by our Armed Forces?

A: When the Armed Forces captured Mullativu, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had to say the Armed Forces conducted the war in a successful manner under proper supervision of the President and the Government.

The UNP which spread various rumors to distort the minds of the public and abstained from voting for the Emergency was compelled to say that the war against terrorism has become very successful. But they waited until the troops captured Mullativu to say this.

At present the UNP is organising Bodhi Poojas to invoke blessings on the war heroes. The UNP would have done this when the war heroes first launched their battle to combat terrorism, not at this final stage.

This looks like a punishment given to the UNP by history. They are the people who launched various conspiracies to undermine the military victories of the Armed Forces. Today they have been defeated for ever.

Q: What are the initiatives to be taken to fulfill the rights of the Tamil community once LTTE terrorism is eradicated from the country?

A: The Government has to take a series of measures for the wellbeing of the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities. First the steps should be taken to bring normalcy to the North and the East. At present these two provinces are 30 years back on development due to terrorist activities.

The development and economic benefits should be brought to these areas. Good governance and democracy should be restored in these areas while creating an environment conducive to safeguard human rights of the people.

Power should be devolved among the poor. Immediate measures should be taken to eradicate poverty among the poor irrespective caste, creed or politics. Initiatives should be taken to strengthen the poor voters by further empowering them .

If we devolve power among poor, they should be given lands, employment and other needy facilities which would lead to the uplift of their living conditions. I consider this is as genuine devolution of power.

Q: Various allegations are levelled against the Government that it has curtailed the rights of the media. According to you is there any hidden meaning behind these allegations?

A: It is very clear that when the editor of a certain English newspaper was killed, various allegations were levelled against the Government as that particular editor always criticized the Government through his newspaper.

Organised gang

But a similar attack was also launched against an editor of a Sinhala newspaper which highly criticise the UNP as well. Then to whom can we level allegations regarding this attack? This clearly indicates that there is a certain organised gang involved in these killings and assaults to tarnish the image of the Government. It is the bounden duty of the Police to identify these killers without allowing them to roam freely.

Whoever does this, the intention is to tarnish the image of the Government internationally and undermine the great military victories achieved by creating a black mark on the Government. In a situation where the Government has achieved a series of military victories against terrorism, this Government is not so silly as to harass the mediamen and brining a black mark on the Government.

Q: After these military victories, do you think the Government should go for an election?

A: Definitely. Because the country’s next chapter should be formulated properly. The country should be guided towards to a new era of national resurgence. We should be able to take the country forward in the proper direction after the heroic efforts of our soldiers.

Opportunity

We are a great nation which could formulate our own alphabet and our own language. As a nation which possess this kind of great history, it cannot shy away from this golden opportunity to defeat LTTE separatism. After eradicating LTTE terrorism, the Government should go for a General Election to get a mandate to the effect necessary changes.

Q: Are you confident that the Government would achieve a landslide victory at the upcoming Provincial Council polls in Central and the North Western Provinces?

A: There is no doubt about our victory. Now we are trying to turn this victory into a resounding victory. If the UPFA candidates have used the President’s picture in their posters, no UNP candidate has used the picture of their Leader.

They are well aware that they would lose even whatever votes they expect if they display the face of their Leader. The UNP election campaign has faced to a severe set back. In addition, the JVP has also lost its golden future due to wrong decisions taken by the party leadership.

If the leaders of the UNP and the JVP extended their support to the Government to eradicate terrorism,they would have also earned 60 per cent credit gained by the Government for these military victories. But the leaders of these political parties deprived the opportunity to their partymen to celebrate this golden opportunity.

This Central and North Western Provincial Council elections will create the first people’s power while it will be further strengthened by the Western Provincial Council election. The third huge people’s force will be created through the General Election to be held in future by allowing the UPFA to form a very stable parliament.