Is there a new secret pact with TNA separatists?

A A M Nizam

“The United National Party Government toppled a Government of common people by the power of money, by thuggery, and through conspiracies. It is important to find out what they did and did not do. Ranil Wickremesinghe forgot all election promises he made before coming to power. He rightly fulfilled the promise given to Prabhakaran to handover the powers in the North and East.

“Just think whether there was any benefit to Matara during the past two years. Was there anything done to Matara for which you can at least be happy? During this period they did not commence any development project. Electricity supply was not expanded. No construction activities were carried out on bridges and culverts. If they opened anything it was only the things which our Government started.

Unemployed graduates

“Fear and thuggery reigned supreme in Matara. Government MPs intruded the Post Office and threatened innocent servants. Entered hospitals and assaulted the hospital staff. Destroyed the self-respect of Police officers. Attacked the unemployed graduates repeatedly for demanding employment suitable for their educational qualifications. Robbed from the historical places of Matara believing that they were the legacy of their parents and grandparents. Destroyed them. Matara became a den of nefarious underground elements. An era was dawn in which it became shameful even to claim as a person from Matara.

“Although there was no progress for Matara, there was no benefit for you, it was a golden era for Ministers and MPs. Ministers and MPs built palatial mansions. Not only in Sri Lanka, they purchased lands and properties even in Europe. It is not necessary for me to describe to any right thinking person in Matara who can see for themselves about the golden era that was dawned for Ministers and MPs of the Government.”

Extract from the Election Appeal made to the people of Matara District by Mangala Samaraweera for the 2004 General Election as a candidate of the United People’s Front Alliance.

UNP Leader

Now this very same person is contesting Matara district as a UNP (UNF is nothing other than the UNP and the name given to a bogus alliance of some three-wheel political parties with the UNP) candidate under the Elephant symbol. He vigorously campaigns using a fleet of vehicles and visiting all corners of the District praising hosannas of Ranil Wickremesinghe and appealing for votes for the formation of a Government headed by the UNP Leader.

It is sad to note that Sri Lanka which was nourished by principled and decent politics of our great political leaders such as Dr N.M. Perera, Dr Colvin R de Silva, Dr S. A. Wickremesinghe, D. S. Senanayake, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike has stooped to the abyss of political doom on account of unprincipled, shameless politicians who at every turn change their policies and think of only about their personal benefits and are prepared to back anyone even if such a person is proven disaster for the country, or a foreign stooge.

There had never been in the history of Matara District that was nourished by the political ideals of Dr S.A. Wickremesinghe and among the people whose fathers and forefathers had sacrificed their lives for strengthening the progressive and patriotic political vision propagated by the eminent Dr, a politician who swam the upstream against the aspirations of the people of the country except the father of Samaraweera who akin to Mangala took an anti-national stance when the reactionary forces toppled the progressive Government of Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1964.

Election promises

What Mangala Samaraweera said in 2004 about Ranil Wickremesinghe’s election promise is the absolute truth which no one, even the UNPers can deny. We remember about a string of promises given by Wickremesinghe at elections, upon becoming the leader of the grand old political party following the cruel murder of Gamini Dissanayake.

We have never seen the light of gold chains, gold bracelets, denim trousers, financial doles, concessionary and free food packages, etc., etc., etc., and these promises were made in his typical way of thinking that majority of Sri Lankans are archetypal fools (pol booruwo). It would be same with his new promises of fantasy.

Mangala Samaraweera at election rallies in Matara is reported to have claimed that there will be 20 odd Tamil MPs getting elected from the North and East and they will form Ranil Wickremesinghe Government with these Tamil MPs. This is a very serious statement and not only the people of Matara but all peace loving patriotic masses in Sri Lanka must demand a clarification about this statement, and all candidates contesting from the UNP including Ranil Wickremesinghe (never mind about the communalists calling themselves UNF) should clarify whether they are for a coalition with the communalist TNA. Was it to give credence to this Secret Pact that the UNP for the first time in its history launched its election campaign from Jaffna, ignoring the traditional sites of Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura, Sri Dalada Maliagawa, Kandy and Raja Maha Viharaya, Kelaniya?

Secret pact

It should not be forgotten that there was a similar secret pact with Sampanthan during the Presidential Election, despite denials made in the Sinhala majority voting areas, existence of a secret pact at that time was proven true by the votes polled for Sarath Fonseka in the Tamil majority areas.

Already Sampanthan’s Tamil National Alliance has released their election manifesto and the highlight of which are:

* Federal solution based on shared sovereignty

* Right to self-determination in a contiguous North and East of Sri Lanka

* Re-emerging the North and Eastern Provinces

* Devolution of powers over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers

* Direct foreign investment in the North and East

This manifesto itself pose a great danger to the liberated Sri Lanka and the peril of separatist terrorism raising its ugly head once again looms large, which needs to be stemmed by all means. The Tamil Diaspora only needs a leeway to interfere in the affairs of the country directly, and revive the terrorist outfit with the encouragement it has received in the Western nations.

Mangala Samaraweera will betray or sacrifice anyone to get his personal grudge against President Rajapaksa fulfilled. His undermentioned statement made in an interview given to C.A. Chandraprema in a newspaper confirms it. “Even if the whole country and the whole world endorses President Rajapaksa’s actions at the present moment, and there is only one person left behind, I am willing to start my journey all over again, on behalf of what I believe in.” This personal vendetta has already destroyed the UNP forcing many prominent UNPers to leave the party in droves. It is time now for those in the UNP to decide whether they should allow this kind of politicians to destroy their party further and erase it from the political arena of this country.

Personal benefits

At last this country has become totally liberated, brought under one flag, one administration and President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a true and commendable national leader is making every and concerted efforts to wipeout the decades of hatred sown by despicable politicians to divide the masses on communal and caste basis for their personal benefits. It is the duty of all the patriotic masses to join in these great efforts and strive to build Sri Lanka as one nation and a true heaven for our posterity.

Not only the people of Matara, but people in other districts as well must take the forthcoming election as a golden opportunity to reject politicians who sow the seeds of separatism, who propagate communalism and who do not hesitate to betray the country to please dreadful foreign elements and act as stooges of foreign rogues.

Let this country get elected with Members of Parliament who are patriotic and dedicated to serve the country for building it as a prosperous proud nation for our posterity.