Gotabhaya under attack to halt military successes - Dr. Rajitha Senaratne

Another group of 18 UNPers would join the Mahinda Rajapaksa government soon after the forthcoming budget, says the Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. He says this move is due to mounting frustration among UNPers owing to ad hoc decisions of the UNP leadership. Dr. Senaratne says that negotiations are now going on with those UNP MPs. According to Dr. Senaratne, there is a gloomy future for the UNPers under the present leadership and the UNP has been misled by the two SLFP dissidents - Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Sooriarachchi - on allegations such as the Government - LTTE secret pact.

Following are the excerpts:

Q: You had criticised both the UPFA and the present government before you were given a ministerial portfolio under Mahinda Rajapaksa's government. How do you compare the two regimes - the UNP and this government now?

A: I have criticized mostly the UPFA. At that time I said the 'Mahinda Chinthana' was a JVP 'Chinthana'. I criticised most of his programs because we were supporting the peace movement. We thought the UPFA program would lead to war in this country. However, I was very careful about criticising Mahinda because he was my longstanding friend. During elections we always worked for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe and were very confident that Ranil would win as there were internal problems in the SLFP against Mahinda Rajapaksa and we were promoting this idea. But most people including political activists were predicting Mahinda Rajapaksa's victory. And asked me what I would do if Ranil won and Mahinda was defeated. Then I said that if Ranil could not win this election, he could not win any future elections. That is because Mahinda Rajapaksa had lots of problems inside the party at that time and even former President Chandrika Kumaratunga was openly supporting Ranil. But he could not win that election and it says there is no hope for Ranil in the future.

Then I openly said he could resign as the leader. He agreed at the beginning but later refused. When we were fighting to remove him from the leadership he agreed to remain in the leadership but allow decision making to be done by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and the Working Committee (WC) of the UNP. But later he refused to do that too. He runs the party in an ad hoc manner.

Nobody knew his agreement with Mangala Samaraweera. It was not approved or consented to by the PAC or the WC. Then the vote of no confidence motion against Milinda is the same. MP Lakshaman Kiriella says that the party never agreed by any of the Committees to bring the Motion but Dilip says that it was signed because it was requested by Ranil Wickremesinghe. These are his arbitrary decisions. That is how he is ruining the party today.

Whatever said and done President Rajapaksa is a good leader. He has all the leadership qualities. We came to an understanding with Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government for a common program including the main issue, the political solution for the national problem. The second understanding is to give relief to the political victims of the UNP from 1994. We are working to achieve our targets and also a better tomorrow for Sri Lanka. We are still UNPers and we have not crossed over to another party.

Q: The United National Party's Democratic Front (UNPDF) categorically stated that you left the UNP as you wanted to reform the party. To what extent do you think that you would be able to achieve this target?

A: Yes, when we are with the UNP there is no freedom for any criticism of the leader and the UNP's arbitrary decisions but now we are campaigning for democracy within the UNP. I feel the party leader has no program but he needs shortcuts to come into power. Because he knows that he cannot be in this leadership for a long period of time. That is why he gives time tables to change this government. Now they vowed they would topple the government in this budget. But I know that will be another failed attempt by the UNP. And some UNP MPs are ready to join the government.

Q: Do you know who would be next in line to join the government?

A: Yes. I know the names very clearly, But we cannot reveal their names now. We are negotiating with them at the moment and just wait and see.

Q: You have said that the 18 member UNP group joined the government on two conditions. If the government fails to fulfil your aspirations are you willing to leave this government?

A: I do not think that matter will be raised. Because, the government has already commenced fighting against terrorism to solve the ethnic problem. Not that the President has led the fight against terrorism and liberated the entire East and now is in the process of liberating the North. It is important that he has liberated the highly strategic points of the LTTE like Silawathura. This has resulted Ranil also had to leave aside federalism and most of the UNPers are now talking about anti-terrorism and the unitary state. They have changed their policies because President Mahinda Rajapaksa's actions today.

Solving UNP victims' problems is also progressing. At Lake House part of the group have been re-appointed. In the Health Ministry out of 350 people the majority have been given employment. The government has taken action wherever there is discrimination against the UNPers.

So we are happy about the government programs and the ways they are implementing what the government had agreed with us.

Q: The UNP National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake remains in the party and try to re-organise the lost pride. Why did not your group do so?

A: No. S.B. Dissanayake had categorically said that they cannot come into power without the support of 18 of us. He realised that there is no future for the UNP without us. The only barrier is Ranil Wickremesinghe. With him there is no democracy in the party and the future for the party. So why we are spend our time for a loss cause.

Q: According to you, what are the political weaknesses of the UNP leadership?

A: He is a very educated and well read person. Wether it is right or wrong he has a vision also. But he cannot implement any thing as he is not practical. He is like an academic who can preach a lot of things but who cannot practise them. With him the UNP will never come to power because he does not understand the group realities.

Q: Have you ever tried to convince him about his so-called weaknesses?

A: Why not. I have openly told to him and even criticized him. I have explained him about his weaknesses and there is no future for him and for the party. Ranil Wickremesinghe has already lost 14 elections. He is the only leader in the entire world who continues as a leader after losing so many elections. But with all defeats he still clings on to the leadership and the party does not have future as his political advisors are the businessmen and classmates who do not understand even a little bit of politics.

Q: Once you have said that you are not against Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe but was against the leader of the UNP. Are you going to re-join the UNP if there is a change in the party leadership?

A: Yes. If he leaves the party tomorrow, we will join the UNP day after tomorrow uniting all the UNP forces. We will make the UNP a very formidable force within three-months.

Q: So does this mean that you are going to break the trust between the government and UNPDF?

A: No. still we believe that to settle the national issue, we cannot come into power by toppling Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Because President Rajapaksa has come a long way. All of us said that no body can defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka and the only solution is peace talks. Most of politicians including Ranil were ready to kneel down before Prabhakaran to have a political solution. But Mahinda Rajapaksa has taught a very good lesson to all including myself that we can crush terrorism. But we believe that a permanent solution can only be arrived at through politically. So we must support the President to complete his mission.

Q: Then are you willing to join the government to form a national government?

A: Yes. That is what President Rajapaksa also wanted. He wanted the entire UNP to join the government for some time. We can help the President to achieve his goals for a new Sri Lanka.

Q: If somebody claims that you are with the Mahinda Rajapaksa government because you want to enjoy the perks as a Minister until there is a change in the UNP leadership.

A: No actually there are two ways. We could have joined the government without perks. Then we can not help our party supporters. But now we have helped lots of people. We are using our perks to help the people also.

We have been in the opposition for many years and we are not bothered about perks. Even during former President Chandrika's time I told clearly that I was ready to forget what had happened in the past and was ready to apologise to her if she was ready to join with us to settle the ethnic question. So without the UNP no single party can solve this problem.

Q: Finance Minister Thilak Siyambalapitiya has urged the UNP to explain the financial assistance given to the LTTE during 2002 to 2004. You were a UNP heavyweight one time and do you know anything about a secret deal between the UNP and LTTE?

A: I do not know whether there was a secret deal between Ranil and LTTE but as a government we had faced a complete different scenario during that regime. We were not fighting against the LTTE and treated them not as an enemy but as a friendly organisation because we wanted them to be at the discussion table. And sometimes, they were assisted in many ways thinking that they will come back. The problem today is the same UNP who had given enough things to the LTTE for the sake of some understanding, are trying to criticise others for having some deals after joining with Mangala and Sripathy.

Q: Then are you aware about such a deal between President Rajapaksa and the LTTE as claimed by the two former Ministers, Mangala and Sripathy?

A: No one can have such a secret deal because the LTTE is a guerilla organisation. No guerilla organisation will change their policies for financial benefits. Neither the LTTE nor the JVP. Even today some faction of the JVP, they do not understand the situation. The only understanding of the JVP is that they take decisions for themselves for their benefit. They never take decisions for the betterment of the country just like the LTTE. Though the JVP is in the democratic front, they were former guerillas. These parties when taking decisions, they give priority for their party and secondly to the country. The LTTE can never be bribed. If anyone says so, he is a political fool to think that an organisation like LTTE can be bribed and get their political decisions changed. That is why Tamilselvan has said that none of their politburo members had done it.

Q: It is a serious allegation you have just made saying that the JVP is similar to the LTTE.

A: No though the JVP is not like the LTTE they still behave like the LTTE. They behave in a similar manner. The JVP had entered the democratic stream very recently and earlier they were to destroy Parliament and that is why that they bombed it. Though they have entered the democratic front they have never changed completely.

Q: How do you claim that while the ordinary people of this country believes that the JVP is the third political force?

A: Ok. Yes, if they act properly they have a very good future. But they must understand the world situation and how in other parts of the world the ethnic question is being solved. This is the only Marxist party which talks about nationalism. If they take drastic decisions and leave aside their past they can move forward as a third force.

Q: One main allegation against the government is that it is corrupt. You were strongly against corruption when you were with the opposition. Are you silent now for the sake of protecting your portfolio?

A: No. I was the only MP in the parliamentary history who had moved the highest number of no-confidence motions, highest number of fraud allegations against the President and the Cabinet members. I do not make any allegations unless I have proof. Otherwise it would lead to his character assassination. I do not sling mud on any person. Take Gotabhaya Rajapaksa today. He is the main responsible person for the entire military successes. So, he is being attacked now because he is the person who had done away with all the private dealers in procuring military equipment. The government which believes that arms deals must be dealt only by the government and formed a public company, which purchased Kfirs, MiGs and MBRLs.

The UNP says that the MiGs are 25-years-old and the government does not want to buy MiGs to be used for the next 25-years because the war will not continue for the next 25 years. If we can use the MiGs for the next two years that is enough.

I am not silent. Most of the time, I had argued with President Rajapaksa and because of the good nature of the President we can argue with him and he does not keep anything with him against you. But he admires people who tell the truth to him. He understands what is correct and wrong.

Q: The UNP's dramatic move from federalism to Unitary state to solve the national problem was highly debated recently. How do you see this move?

A: This is the biggest joke cracked by Ranil. If he takes this decision after the Party convention then that is a party decision. Here he decided on the request of the JVP. We know that one JVP leader had a secret deal with Ranil to change from federalism to win support of the JVP. So, Ranil agreed this, thinking that he can form government very soon. The UNP says that they met this person, discussed and promised to give support.

But, Wimal Weerawansa had clearly said that even if the UNP kneel down before them they would never change their stance not to join the UNP. Somawansa Amarasinghe the leader of the JVP has said that the party would never change its policy not to join the UNP. Now he has realised that he is neither here nor there.

Q: Do you see any reason for the sudden decision of the UNP to bring a no-confidence motion against the Minister of Tourism?

A: First they were trying to bring a no confidence motion against the government, then they tried to defeat the government at the budget debate last year. They were expecting the support of the JVP, but they failed. And now they are again trying to get the support of the JVP at this budget.

But they have realised that the attempts would not be successful. Now they think that if they target people like Milinda the JVP will support the UNP, because Milinda is a key person who went for peace talks. Then the JVP had vehemently criticised Milinda as a traitor. So that is why they now target Milinda.

But that also failed because of Maharoof. Now we understand over 17 parliamentarians in the UNP are ready to go against this motion. So they have postponed the meeting till tomorrow (22).

Q: Do you see any further division in the UNP because of this issue?

A: Yes. Ranil Wickremesinghe could not keep 18 of us but he expects Mangala and Sripathy to bring 18 people from the government. This is the biggest joke. It has proved that they cannot take even one. No one wants to join the UNP. Definitely there will be another division after the budget. This is a failed political gimmick by Mangala and Sripathy. One thing I would say finally Mangala and Sripathy will be isolated and at the end they won't have a place in the UNP.

All these allegations are the work of Mangala and Sripathy. Because they have lost power and bargained with President Rajapaksa to regain that power. As the President never agreed now they are very critical about Mahinda and the government. I feel they will join the government after the budget. Now we are discussing whether we can get their votes for the government for the budget proposals and they can join the government later.

[email protected]