Sri Lankans are sharper

Uditha Kumarasinghe

Agriculture Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara. Picture by Mahinda Vithanachchi

What do you think of the mandate achieved by the Government in North Western and Central provinces at the recently concluded Provincial Council elections?

That was very encouraging. It indicates the people in the North Western and Central provinces have fully endorsed the work of the Government, not only its efforts to finish the war but also to develop the country and its economy. It was a full endorsement and a fresh mandate. We are going to get a similar mandate in favour of the Government from the Western Province, Uva Province and the Southern Province as well.

Are you confident of the Government’s victory at the upcoming Western Provincial Council polls?

I am hundred percent confident of the Government’s victory and the UNP will be on the run. The JVP will be reduced to a very small number and they will quietly walk into their grave politically. The UNP is declining day by day. I am very sorry to say that there won’t be a formidable opposition for the Government. That is also a little disturbing. Because we want a formidable opposition to argue and fight democratically. The role of the opposition is to guide the Government when it is necessary.

What do you think of the political stability of the Government. Do you think the Government should go for a General Election at this stage to further consolidate its mandate?

We are prepared to go for a General Election at any time and we are very much confident of our victory. But our mandate stays until the year 2010. So I don’t see any reason why we should go for an early election at this stage as we are a very stable Government like the Sigiriya rock.

At present various political parties have joined hands with the Government. What is the key reason?

This is mainly due to the realization of the truth. It means that the only Leader who could make necessary change is President Mahinda Rajapaksa. People like me who have contested under the UNP and the people who have contested from the SLMC, CWC and those who have contested even from the JVP have joined hands with the Government. The people of many colours and shades have been mustered under one umbrella to support the Government.

Humanitarian operations against terrorism have reached the final stage. Are you confident that terrorism will be eliminated from the North very soon?

I am very confident that terrorism will be eradicated from the North very soon. But let me approach in a different way. I am very sad that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay has made unreasonable remarks about the death of civilians. She has not given proper figures.

Even the UN representative in Colombo had said that the figures have not been properly confirmed by Navanethem Pillay. I am not referring to her. But I am referring to the people in general. The LTTE is capable of bribing anyone. They have bribed many for lobbying to them. I am surprised a person who is holding a very high position in the UN has uttered such nonsense.

Some international forces are pressurizing the Government to go for a ceasefire with the LTTE at this juncture. What do you think of this suggestion?

All the international pressures or groups who are trying to pressurize the Government to go for a ceasefire are in favour of the LTTE. They cannot see the defeat of the LTTE. For example, they said, the IRA problem in the UK, settled by negotiation. They wanted us to do the same with the LTTE.

Recently two military men were killed on the periphery of a military camp by the IRA and thereafter one Policeman was killed. Do we think that the IRA problem is over. They could fool some of the people in UK. But they cannot fool Sri Lankans by such examples. Sri Lankans are much sharper.

Is the Government ready to introduce a political solution to the ethnic problem once the terrorism is eradicated from the North?

Now we have brought a political solution. What better political solution could there be? When the LTTE child soldier Sivanesadurai Chandrakanthan has become the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province while the LTTE Brigade Commander Vinayagamurthi Muralitheran has become a Minister of this Government, what better political solution can we think of?

We will do the same thing to the Jaffna peninsula as well. But the LTTE is not willing to enter mainstream politics. But there are genuine Tamil politicians like Ananadasangaree, Sidharthan and Douglas Devananda who are really concerned about their people. In addition, we need personalities like Attorney-at-Law Chandrahassen, the son of late veteran politician S J V Chelvanayagam who is living in India at the moment looking after the refugees who have gone from Sri Lanka to India.

We need people like Chandrahassen to come here. Other than these known figures, there may be many distinguished personalities who are willing to come to mainstream politics. These people will be the future politicians who will rule their own areas under one Government - that is the Sri Lankan Government.

Has the Government provided enough security and other welfare facilities to the Tamil people who return to the Government controlled areas from the uncleared areas?

Thousands of people have come to the Government controlled areas from the uncleared areas. The Government has provided all necessary facilities such as food, medicine and other healthcare facilities to these people. The Government has also provided education to these children.

These children were deprived of their education by the LTTE. The children who were just above 12 years were forcibly grabbed into the Charles Anthony Brigade by ruthless Prabhakaran. We have redeemed them from the clutches of Prabhakaran and we are providing them a proper education and tender loving care. If these people are living in temporary camps at present, the Government would give them permanent housing shortly.

They are our brothers and our duty is to look after them. We are one nation and one country. Our Government is committed to fulfill this task.. All of us are committed to look after our Tamil brethren and Muslim brethren in the Northern and Eastern provinces including the Sinhalese living there.

The agriculture in the North and the East faced a severe setback due to terrorist activities. What are the measures taken by the Government to develop agriculture in these areas?

In the eastern province, the Government has renovated the channels, some of the tanks and waterways to provide irrigation facilities to paddy fields. We have cultivated one hundred and nine thousand acres of paddy lands after 32 years of war.

We have also provided fruits and vegetable plants, seed materials and agriculture implements to the farmers in the East free of charge. As a result, we were able to bring one hundred and nine thousand acres of paddy fields under the plough. In addition 54,000 hectares of corn and maize have been cultivated in four districts in the East.

We have also decided to introduce perennial crops such as cashew, mango and other fruit varieties which will have long term benefits for these areas. In addition, the Government has also developed the health, education and other infrastructure facilities in the East.

The people are delighted about the services provided to them by the Government and the kindness the Armed Forces and the Police extend to them. As we had Negenahira Navodhaya, we will introduce Uthuru Wasanthaya on a similar line in the North once we clear Puthukudiyiruppu very soon.

What do you think of the present crisis situation created within the UNP?

It’s very sad. They themselves are digging their own grave. The UNP has dug into infertile soil. Again Ranil Wickremesinghe has become the Leader after he was on the verge of getting ousted.

He has a small clique of his own people who are supporting him. Others are openly criticizing him through media or while talking in Parliament lobby areas. But Wickremesinghe has a very strong centralized constitution.

Because of that he has been surviving as the party Leader for many years. I can give you the assurance, as long as Ranil Wickremesinghe is the Leader, the UNP will be in the Opposition very safe, but year by year with reduced numbers.