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| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Rajitha
predicts Ranil's victory
by Ananda Kannangara
Government Service Trade Union Federation President and Kalutara District UNP MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratna in an interview with the Sunday Observer said that the UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe has the sole objective of improving the country's economy and will achieve the highest economic growth after the November 17 Presidential Election. Below are excerpts of the interview. Question: On what grounds do you say that the economy has declined ? Answer: Except for a very short period of two years from 2002 to 2004 the present Government has been ruling the country for the past nine years. But during this long period, the Government has not launched a single development project such as the UNP's accelerated Mahaweli program, establishing free trade zones to enable foreign investors to start industries especially the garment industries. So, since the present Government has not started such a program, it had resulted in the decline of the economy in the country. Q: The cost of living is very high and the prices of essential food items are also going up gradually. What is your comment on this ? A: Exorbitant prices of essential food items have become a burning issue today. It is the biggest problem to people, especially for the low income groups in the country. It is also pathetic that the Government do not pay any attention towards the reduction of prices of essential consumer items, at least considering the living conditions of poor people. If the Government has a better management program it is easy to reduce the prices of essential food items like we did during our tenure. Q: Does the UNP have any plans to bring the prices of food items down and offer some kind of relief to the poor ? A: Yes, definitely, our leader Mr. Wickremesinghe is always saying that he has to solve two major burning problems as soon as he becomes the President. One is to give the essential food items at affordable prices and the other is to find a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict. Between them he will first focus his attention on reducing prices of essential food items and thereafter bring a complete solution to the ethnic problem. Q: Is it true that the UNP Government is going to curtail Samurdhi relief? A: It is absolutely incorrect. Some politicians in our country are generally in the habit of distorting statements. What we said was that the next UNP Government would initiate a much better poverty alleviation program than the present Samurdhi. Accordingly the recipients will receive better financial assistance under the new program. As you are aware of the fact, at present the Government has allocated Rs. 800 million for the benefit of Samurdi recipients, while a large sum of Rs. 12,000 million has been allocated to pay the salaries and other expenses of Samurdhi Niyamakas. Under the new poverty alleviation program we wish to grant more financial assistance to beneficiaries. Q: What are the programs that the UNP is to initiate to strengthen the village economy? A: During our short tenure we strengthened the rural sector. We established economic centres at Meegoda, Embilipitiya, Veyangoda and Wadduwa for the benefit of farmers to sell their products with the services of middlemen. These economic centres also helped traders as well as the consumers. However we have now planned to establish some more economic centres in other districts including the North East. Q: Do you think the UNP Government gives priority to the Agricultural sector? A: Ours is an agricultural country. So under the "Regaining Sri Lanka" program we hoped to develop the agricultural sector to a greater extent. We also focused special attention on the improvement of paddy cultivation. As a result, the highest paddy harvest was recorded during our time for the first time in Sri Lanka. However we will continue with our task after November 17. Q: Could you comment on the story of bellbottoms that you mentioned at a press conference a few weeks ago? A: I spoke about the different lifestyles of the farmers in Sri Lanka and in Japan at that particular press conference. When I visited Japan sometime ago I saw the social life of Japanese farmers who were wearing various types of clothes. So what I meant was that I wanted to improve the social life of the Sri Lankan farmers too. Really I am sorry that some politicians distorted my statement to gain undue political advantage. Q: Is it true that the UNP Government wanted to sell the lands in coastal areas? A: Some political parties such as the JVP usually make statements to achieve political gains. But there is no truth in those statements. As the Minister of Lands then, I submitted a law that state lands cannot be sold. However I challenge those politicians to prove if I had ordered to sell any state land. But I happened to give some state lands to companies on lease with the objective of developing them. Even today the lands are well developed. Q: The Government says that the service of a competent authority is needed to monitor the private media. What is your comment on this? A: The Elections Commissioner has powers to appoint a competent authority to the State media. But there is no law in the country to appoint a competent authority to the private media. Q: We have come to know that 23 parties have already pledged their support to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. What is your comment on this? A: History shows that the UNP always went for elections either as a single party or with the support of a few other parties. Now the CWC and the SLMC have extended their support to us and we are confident that our leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the next President in the country after the November 17 election. |
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