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| Sunday, 22 February 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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'Kalutara not a stronghold of JVP'
Q: As Minister of Employment and Labour you signed agreements with Italy and Malaysia for labour export, but this did not result in any enhanced job opportunities for Sri Lankans over there. How can you face your electorate in the forthcoming elections? A: Export of labour to Malaysia will commence on March 1, 2004 and the Malaysian Labour Minister has already informed me about it. The Sri Lankan embassy in Rome is in the process of negotiating with the Italian labour ministry to start a pilot project which will give job opportunities for 100 Sri Lankans registered on the Website in the first instance. I ensure that this would be expanded subsequently. Our embassy in Rome has contact with Italian employment agencies to find job opportunities for Sri Lankans who are on the Website given the fact that Sri Lanka recently got a quota for 1500 jobs for 2004. Our problem has been to compete with the kith and kin who are already living and working in Italy. They have asked the Italian government to give priority to the Website and we are hopeful that we will be able to commence sending people shortly. Q: A large number of country's workers are now up in arms over the new legislation that enables quick termination of employment. As Minister of Labour did you see your role to be to facilitate business and let employers exploit labour? Will you promise your voters to rectify unfair labour laws and ensure security of employment? A: My remedy for this has been a long-term solution in the context of signing bilateral agreements or MoUs with all responsible employers. A plan has been already drawn up to train and orient our workforce prior to their departure to various countries so that they will be able to integrate into the new environment. I have been successful in signing MoUs with Malaysia which will come into effect on March 1, 2004. I have also got Cabinet approval to sign MoUs with Jordan and this will be done in the near future. I have signed another MoU with Lebanon and we are in the process of signing MoU with Cyprus shortly. I am hopeful of signing agreements with other countries and this is the only way that we ensure legal protection to our workers. Q: The dissolution of parliament resulted in the failure of the PA and UNF to share state power. Do you think that whatever the outcome of the elections, the UNF and the Freedom Alliance should engage in a systematic political collaboration to resolve the national crisis, especially conducting negotiations with the LTTE for a political settlement? A: There was a time we could have done this much easier with the SLFP or the PA, but now with the new Alliance with JVP it is going to be difficult because we are certain that concessions the PA has had to make on the national issue to get electoral benefits has altered the picture. In other words, it is an ambiguous situation. We are confident that people will give us the mandate to form the next government to restart the peace process. In such an event we will definitely consult all political parties before a final solution is arrived at. We are not in a position to discuss those matters at this moment and we always welcome consensual politics rather than confrontational politics. Q: Can you tell us whether the party will field candidates in the North-East? Will they campaign in LTTE held areas? A: This is a question that can be answered by the Party Nomination Board headed by Prime Minister. I am not privy to such information. Q: While Kalutara has been your political base, it is also a stronghold of the JVP, especially some of its national leaders including Somawansa Amarasinghe, Tylvin Silva and Wimal Weerawansa. What will you promise voters in your electorate that will be different from the JVP's promises to meet this challenge? A: First of all I am grateful to the people in my electorate for electing me and strengthening me. I have accepted the challenge to salvage the Kalutara district from step-motherly treatment that the district had been receiving. I do not think that Kalutara is a stronghold of the JVP, because it received only 67,000 votes at the last election. Many leaders of the JVP are from the Kalutara district but I have an implicit faith in my voters. Our economic philosophy and working methods are quite different to those of JVP and I have no doubt people will understand and appreciate that we should be elected if we are to deliver on rapid economic development. Q: The people are sick of violence during elections. How can you personally contribute towards preventing or reducing violence during the forthcoming elections? A: All political parties must ensure that they do not pay lip service to a free and fair election campaign, but actually get the message to their rank and file and ensure that it is indeed free and fair. This is of course easily said than done given the political dynamics of Sri Lanka. The government does not have the police and the security forces under it any more. Therefore, it is incumbent on both the Government and the President to work together in ensuring a free and fair election. Q: Plastic has become a serious threat to our environment. Will you obey the call of environmentalists and not use plastics and polythene for decorations and banners during your campaigns? A: I personally adhere to the nonuse of polluting materials but it is very difficult to eliminate the use of those things at grass-roots level all of a sudden. It will take time for people to understand the harm of using polythene. I have not requested my supporters not to use plastics and polythene for decorations because they are over enthusiastic about the forthcoming elections rather than bother about the use of polythene. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
As the General Elections draws near, candidates from the United
National Party (UNP) and the Freedom Alliance (SLFP-JVP) and others are
becoming more active under the directives of their party leaders. Former
Chief Government Whip, and Minister of Employment and Labour Mahinda
Samarasinghe was interviewed by the 'Sunday Observer' regarding the
preparations for the Elections, omissions and commissions of the UNP
during the last two years. 
