UPFA will win majority of Local Government bodies - Minister Ranawaka

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The UPFA government will win the majority of the Local Government (LG) bodies. Winning the Jaffna LG bodies will show the world that the Jaffna people are with the government and that they are trying to maintain peace, said Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka during an interview with the Daily News

Q: Are you confident of winning the rest of the LG bodies on July 23?

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka

A: On July 23, the UPFA government will win the majority of the Local Government bodies. Winning the Jaffna LG bodies will give a clear answer to the so-called international community. The LG polls will show the world that the Jaffna people are with the government and that they are trying to maintain peace which is achieved with great difficulty and are developing their societies. The development was delayed due to terrorism. This is a golden opportunity for the Tamil people to come forward and move forward with the rest of the country.

Q: What are the latest developments regarding the Darusman Report?

A: The Darusman Report is only a document now because the United Nations Secretary General said he cannot do anything more about it and it is up to the member state to take action based on this report. But I don’t think that any member state or any UN institution such as UNHRC or the Security Council will take action against Sri Lanka based on this report. But the so-called Tamil expatriates, their racist Global Tamil Forum and other pro-LTTE elements, Western powers such as the US, UK and a few other countries in the EU will try to use the document to defame our country and bring war crimes charges.

The next UNHRC session is due in September and there is a possibility that these allegations can surface by then. Therefore, we have to prepare for it.

We should not call pro-LTTE organizations as the ‘Tamil Diaspora’ because they have no similarity whatsoever to the Jewish people. Jewish people were chased away from their original lands but nothing like that has happened to the Tamils. Therefore, nobody can call them the ‘Tamil Diaspora’. It is wrong to equate Tamil expatriates with the Jewish people.

Q: What are the latest developments regarding the Channel 4 video?

A: The Channel 4 video is directly connected to the next UNHRC session.

It wanted to change the mindset of the public in key countries. They telecast the fabricated video in India, Australia, US and now in Europe. Their main intention is to change public opinion.

They want to castigate our war heroes as war criminals. After telecasting this fabricated video in Australia, public opinion was affected. Therefore, we have to have some sort of counter offensive.

We have to have a propaganda counter offensive based on true facts. We have to show the world what happened here, the war crimes committed by the LTTE and what is happening here now.

The real war criminals are now in the Global Tamil Forum.

They are responsible for the carnage that took place in Sri Lanka.

The LTTE supporters and sympathizers should be held responsible for the war crimes they had committed in Sri Lanka.

Q: What is the responsibility of the Opposition at this juncture?

A: This is not about petty party politics. This is something beyond party politics.

It is about our sovereignty, our integrity and the sacrifices made by our heroic security forces. We have to unite as one nation to face this menace; the international conspiracy funded by the LTTE rump.

This is a new diplomatic war. Now our humanitarian operation is over. Now we have to re-fight diplomatically.

Q: What do you think about the proposed Parliament Select Committee to be appointed to find a political solution?

A: This is clearly mentioned in the Mahinda Chinthana - Vision for the Future (page 50 and 54). Anybody can read it and find out. It is stipulated that there will be an All Party Committee to oversee the pros and cons of the Provincial Council System and the outcome will be presented to Parliament and will be implemented. This pledge is mandated by the people.

The Parliament Select Committee is democratic and according to our constitution it is the Parliament which can determine constitutional matters. Anyway, there should be a consensus and we urge the TNA to change their racist separatist ideology.

If we compare the present Tamil community with the one in 1947 when Chelvanayagam started this separatist movement, we see that the socio-economic position enjoyed by the Tamil community has now totally changed. Similarly the socio-economic status of Muslims, estate Tamils and Sinhalese have changed dramatically as they are achieving social, economic and educational development. They are not separatists. Because of the separatist ideology of Chelvanayagam, the Tamil people suffered. They did not suffer because of the Sinhalese. Muslims and Indian Tamils clearly chose to live with Sinhalese. They enjoyed social rights and other benefits and they empowered their communities. Therefore, the TNA is responsible for the state of the Tamil community. They should change and accept the consensus of the majority or they will drag the Tamil community to another political and social mess.

Q: Do you have any message for the Sri Lankan public when it comes to conspiracies against Sri Lanka launched by local and foreign elements from time to time?

A: My message to the Sri Lankan public is to please unite putting aside all differences. We have to unite to face this challenge or else we may lose the freedom we have achieved with great difficulty.

The sacrifices made by our heroic armed forces and the general public would be in vain. We have to unite and preserve the unitary nature of this country. It is our duty now to unite and fight against these elements who are conspiring against our country. But our fight should be a non-violent, spiritual movement. That will show the world that we are a truly compassionate nation and we have no hatred among us. We only need to preserve unity and peace of our country.