Victory, for sure

Dulshani Gunawardena

Thilanga Sumathipala is a name synonymous with business. Yet how well will he fare in the political arena? Uduwatuwage Janapriya Thilanga Sumathipala shared his views in an exclusive interview with The Daily News.

Having only recently returned to the UPFA from the UNP, why did you decide to contest for the general elections under the UPFA?

I have always been led by the Left. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP) has always been my base. I come from a strong leftist family background.

I left the party during former President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's tenure, but returned when the current President Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power.

How confident are you of victory?

I am well established in Colombo. I was born and bred in Colombo. All my businesses are based here. The people know me.

They are aware of my potential. I have proved my leadership. As chairman of Mobitel and SLT, these former loss-making enterprises became profitable under my leadership. Yes, I am very much confident of victory.

When it comes to inner Colombo, UPFA has a losing streak. As the chief organizer of the Borella electorate, do you expect to see a change this time?

I think we can win the Colombo District as a whole. When it comes to Inner Colombo, the majority have a strong UNP background. However due to our efforts, there is a slow yet steady change in this pattern. If it continues, I am sure we'll be able to win over inner Colombo in the coming years.

The UNP claims that it is the only party with a progressive economic policy. As one of Sri Lanka's top notch businessmen, in which light do you see this statement?

It is very easy to have an expensive, wonderful life if you borrow money. During the UNP rule of 1977-1994 our economic value deteriorated. When designing an economic policy, we should consider our positioning in the global economy.

We are not an isolated entity. Our progress should be global. We should identify our strengths and weaknesses and adopt a policy that addresses these needs. There should be economic sustainability instead of short term profitability.

If you look at the UNP's record in 2002-2004, there were major sellouts-of government organizations at a very low price. Some of these were in fact profit making organizations.

So you are against privatization? In a time when inefficiency has become a trademark of government institutions?

Privatization is a process, not an event. Each and every industry should be studied prior to deciding the share proportion to be privatized. There is no point of privatizing profit making industries or industries that have a potential profit. The main reason behind many loss making enterprises is that they are not upgraded to meet modern needs. As a whole I think that the UPFA government is managing very well.

Yet consumer prices have skyrocketed during the UPFA rule.

We have just recovered from one of the most draining guerrilla wars. At the same time, there was a collapse in the global economy. It was a double blow. What we are going through now is the effect.

Now we are free of terrorism, our economy can revive. Certain food prices have gone down, but yes some essential prices have not gone down. Yet Money is starting to set weight now.

Our share market is growing at an aggressive pace. Give us another six months to one year. The time we've had is not enough to recover from a thirty years war.

The UPFA's main focus is gaining a two thirds majority of Parliament. Do you think this is possible under the current voting system?

It is all about how you read and analyze the trend. Right now, I feel that a two thirds majority is much more than a vague possibility.

The UNP says it will form an alliance with the DNA and it is probable that the TNA will join too. Would such a scenario be a threat to the UPFA's two thirds majority?

During the presidential elections, the alliance of the UNP, DNA and TNA was only able to garner a percentage of thirty seven of the votes. As different parties, I do not think they will be able to gain the same amount as an aggregate or even the minimum thirty three per cent.

The President has promised that the next Cabinet will be a small one. Do you think this is realistic? Would Ministers agree to be just MPs?

We can't afford a huge cabinet. The government must award cabinet positions according to the importance of the people. As the ruling party, there is a huge potential to change the country and meet the expectations of the people.

So you do not expect a Cabinet post?

That is up to the President to decide. I am confident that I will be given responsibility to match my skills.

There are many clashes reported within the UNP. Are there similar clashes within the UPFA?

Opinion is always divided, whatever the party is. Our strength is that we have a strong powerful leader who holds us together. The UNPs leadership is in shambles.

As a newspaper magnate yourself, where do you stand in regards of the impartiality of the press?

Each media caters to the public. What the public reads is their choice.

They choose what to hear, see and read. Every media caters a target audience. So, it is all in the hands of the people.

Finally, what is the first reform you would like to see as a member of Parliament?

My first priority is education reforms. Subject matter taught today is not much different from what I learned during my schooldays.

Each and every child is has some special talent. This should be identified at an early age.

Specialization should be encouraged. There is a great need for the expansion of technological knowledge, as highlighted by the President.

We need educated labour. China and India are the forerunners of this trend. Our major income sources still come from unskilled labour. This needs to change.