People have faith in UPFA - Minister Rohana Kumara Dissanayake

Nadira Gunatilleke

* Major services rendered to public

* Victory for Opposition only a dream

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has given proper leadership to the people and the country faces a development boom. The country has made rapid progress in many fields. The UPFA is focusing on material and spiritual development through the Mathata Thitha program.

Q: With the Presidential Election already won, do you agree that the Government is at a clear advantage at the upcoming General Election?

A: President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the President of Sri Lanka for another six years and the power of all Provincial Councils except North is now with the UPFA. President Rajapaksa gives a leadership with confidence to the people and it is happening for the first time in Sri Lankan political history.

He says what he is going to do and he does exactly what he says. He is in the process of creating a new era, especially in the economic field. He was the only leader who spoke against terrorism at international level without any fear.

He saved the Public Service. The people have faith in him and they have already ensured the victory of his Government, the UPFA. The people know that there will not be any change in the Government in the coming years. The existing preferential system brings rich, powerful and inexperienced persons into power. This is why the whole system must be changed.

Q: What are the new developments in the Opposition’s campaign that may give them an advantage?

A: There is no development whatsoever in the Opposition’s election campaign that may give them an advantage. Whenever the leaders of the Opposition alliances open their mouths and speak (even a word or two) it becomes a disadvantage for them and a big advantage for the Government. The Opposition does not have any topic to speak about. They just pick up `something’ for the morning and then another for the evening. Those are actually not topics, but a baseless set of words. Now they are very confident about the ‘ensured defeat’ in the upcoming General Election and it was the Opposition which brought the ‘two-thirds majority’ idea to society. They have focused on one task now and it is preventing the Government from winning a two-thirds majority because winning the election is only a dream for them.

Q: Since the UPFA has been in power for a full term, what are the services that the Government had provided to make it popular?

A: It takes time and space to describe the whole a lot of services done by the UPFA Government during its term. Some of them have already been completed and some are in progress. But here are some of the major services, projects and programs. By this time power cuts come for sure and it happened during the past. But now no more power cuts. There were numerous protests from various parties against almost all development projects such as Upper Kotmale. President Rajapaksa solved all those problems successfully and launched all projects.

Upper Kotmale, Moragahakanda, Kerawalapitiya, Norochcholai and many more giant projects are among them. Hambantota harbour, Mattala International Airport, Maga Neguma, Gama Neguma, Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu, International level stadiums, high ways are some of the development programs.

Mathata Thitha programs have already reduced minor complaints of the villages by 30 percent. The UPFA was focused on both material and spiritual development of the country. An equally developed country and society is the main objective.

Q: Does the Opposition have a viable alternative policy to offer?

A: It is very clear that the Opposition does not have a policy. They are lost in the darkness.

But the former UNP and the JVP had very strong and clear policies in the past. During late D S Senanayake’s time the UNP had a policy to develop Sri Lanka. After that JVP came up with Mawbima Nethnam Maranaya.

But now everyday they read newspapers early in the morning in order to find out a ‘policy’ for that day! So how come a political party or an alliance with such political parties lead and develop a country without a policy? They do not have a policy for themselves.

There is no need to talk about their policy for the country.

Q: The Opposition, especially the UNP says it is the only party that could achieve the country’s development. Your comment?

A: This statement was true a long time ago only during one era. It is over now. This statement is not valid any more. It was some persons in then UNP regime which brought the open economy to Sri Lanka. They were the educated and capable members of the UNP. Today the spirit of the UNP is with the UPFA. All educated brainy UNP giants such as Prof G L Peiris, Bandula Gunawardena, Mahinda Samarasinghe, all the other professionals, artistes, scholars and all are now with the Government. So how can the UNP claim that only they can develop the country?

Q: What type of impact the result of the upcoming General Election have at International level?

A: The result of the upcoming General Election will be the best answer that Sri Lankan people can given to the International community. As a small country which just defeated the most dangerous terrorist organisation in the world while safeguarding human rights of thousands of civilians, Sri Lanka can stand up proudly now in front of the world. The International community already have an idea about the result of the next General Election.

The Sri Lankan people will give a very clear reply to the International community through the result of the upcoming election and thereafter no country will even think about interfering with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. All international conspiracies will end there.

Q: What are the main goals achieved in the urban development sector under the UPFA regime?

A: Around 135 water supply projects have been granted for the Matale district alone. In the past Matale was notorious for diarrhoea and was called ‘Diarrhoea city’. But after 1996 the epidemic was not reported from Matale. This is one significant achievement.

The Ministry provided 4,500 houses to the people who lived in shanties in the Colombo city. The Ministry will provide drinking water for 3.5 million people within this year.

There are around 24,000 estate workers in Matale and they had been given proper housing. Now 80 percent of those houses have electricity. A hospital was built at a cost of Rs 750 million.

The teacher-student ratio in the estate sector in Matale is 1 to 20 now. IT literacy has been increased. Computer labs have been provided to schools.