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| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
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Politics |  |
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Tilak justifies his move to UNP by Rohan Mathes The former Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary Tilak Karunaratne in an exclusive interview to the Sunday Observer, justified his latest move in joining the UNP and his subsequent appointment as UNP's Bandaragama Chief Organiser. He said, "although you could do something as a small party, you would not be able to live up to your full potential, unless you are in one of the major political mainstreams of the country. The only major political mainstream I could join to accomplish my goals was the UNP, as comparatively the SLFP/JVP Alliance had done the greatest harm to our country in the past". However, Karunaratne clarified that his stand on certain key issues such as the resumption of peace talks with the LTTE based on the ISGA, and the 'Tax Amnesty Bill' brought forward by the UNP, he had his reservations. Pointing out that the UNP were not proponents of the ISGA, but had only requested to resume the peace talks based on the ISGA, Karunaratne said, "unlike the Alliance which was divided, the UNP had a consistent policy on the ISGA. I had opposed it. I did not join the UNP overnight. I have had lengthy discussions with the UNP leadership and reached an agreement with them that I would not state my position on the ISGA publicly, but would only do so within the internal fora of the party". Speaking further, he said that they formed the 'Sihala Urumaya' (SU) and later the 'Jathika Hela Urumaya'(JHU), with very noble intentions, the main focus being the creation of an awareness in the major political parties that the majority Sinhalese were being neglected and deprived of their political and economical rights, not keeping in-line with the population ratio. Nonetheless, there is an apparent clash within the JHU between the laity and the clergy now. Referring to the 'Tax Amnesty Bill', he added, "although I joined the UNP I don't change my stand on this issue. I still think that the way it was given was not correct. I have always paid-up my personal taxes and maintained an 'above-board' position where taxes are concerned. I could understand an amnesty for a person, but not across the board, covering customs offences and others". |
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