Overwhelming mandate:

People's message loud and clear

P. Krishnaswamy

JHU frontliner and Minister of Environment, Agriculture, Irrigation and Industry of the Western PC Udaya Gammanpila, commenting on the results of the May 17 LG polls, told the Sunday Observer that in extending their overwhelming support to the UPFA Government the people of the country have sent a clear message to the Government, to the opposition UNP and some sections of the international community who are bent on penalising the Government for defeating terrorism.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Your comments about the results of the local government elections, the performance of the UPFA and its allies, especially the JHU of which you are a PC Minister?

A: We are very pleased with the results. We fielded 49 candidates and 18 of them got elected. So our success rate is 39 percent. We are very happy with the results. Firstly we were very careful on the selection of candidates.

We went for decent candidates like Buddhist monks, school principals and social workers. We did not field a single candidate who was addicted to liquor, drugs or involved in any other anti-social activities.

In our election campaigns we did not distribute liquor or cigarettes. We did not accept black money from anyone. We did not use polythene or crackers which are not environmentally friendly. We also went one step further by not putting up posters for our campaigns.

As a result our campaigns were very low profile. In spite of it we have got a 37 percent success rate which, I would say, is a remarkable achievement since our brother parties in the alliance have a 20 - 40 percent success rate. We are very happy with the results.

In Pathadumbara the JHU candidate got the highest preferential votes. In Colombo our success rate is 75 percent. JHU is the most successful party in the local government elections in the Colombo district where you find more educated middle class people.

In the LG polls the people have sent some significant messages. The first is to the Government. People have said, "We endorse what you do and we want you to continue with your good work". They have also sent messages to the UNP. The UNP had 27 local government authorities under their control before the elections. This number has now come down to nine.

The results are devastating for them. The UNP in its polls campaigns, was telling the people that the Government ministers are enjoying a luxurious life while the cost of living for the common man is unbearable. The Government admitted that the cost of living is high due to reasons beyond its control but programs were being implemented to counter it.

The Government explained to the people that the situation was the consequence of changes in global climatic, political and economic conditions. We told the people about programs such as Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu, Divi Negamu and other such programs which would help us to get over the problem.

The UNP only criticised the Government but they did not come out with either a solution or an alternative action plan for arresting the Cost of Living. They only smashed earthen pots in junctions as a propaganda against the rising cost of living. The people have clearly rejected the UNP's destructive politics and have embraced the Government's constructive politics.

Many of their candidates used Sajith's portraits in their posters and in their campaigns. They got him to address their election meetings. Sajith as an emerging leader was the main theme of their campaigns for the local government elections. Sajith himself said while addressing meetings that he would bring UNP leadership to Hambantota very soon and the UNP would march forward as a victorious party. But the people have rejected the UNP.

In extending the overwhelming support to the UPFA Government in the LG polls, the people have also sent a strong message to some sections of the international community who are both jealous of us and angry with us.

They are jealous because we defeated the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world, the LTTE, and rooted out terrorism from the face of our country while their military and other manoeuvres to eliminate terrorism in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq have been failures up to now.

They are angry because when they wanted us to declare a ceasefire with the LTTE terrorists, we did not listen to them and held firm to the cause of defeating the LTTE. They are trying to penalise us the same way they did the Taliban in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and what they are now doing in Libya.

But the most crucial factor in this kind of military intervention is mass support. By voting for the UPFA government in the LG polls the people of this country have sent a message to them saying that this is not Libya, this is not Afghanistan and this is not Iraq and here the people are with the government.

"Don't touch Sri Lanka" is the clear message given to them by the people of Sri Lanka. The JVP too has lost its important role as the influential third force and now they are struggling for their survival. Before placing the last nail to their coffin, the JVP should review themselves and correct themselves instead of blaming the people. They cannot expect the people to do what they want them to do.

Q: Can you attribute any reasons to the recent spate of natural disasters, including the latest earthquake and tsunami in Japan, in the context of Buddhist philosophy?

A: The recent spate of the so called natural disasters are really not natural disasters but instead they are man-made disasters. Because earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones are caused by global warming which is man-made. We only have man-made boundaries dividing countries as Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, USA, Canada etc. But Mother Earth is one which is interconnected, interwoven and interdependent.

When USA, Canada and Australia emit excessive carbon the entire world gets affected. USA experienced the horrors of typhoon Karthrina. Scandinavian countries and the USA had a very severe winter during last November, December and January.

If one country damages the environment, the entire world has to suffer. We are the best environment friendly country in the world. Our carbon emission is significantly very low, our forest cover and green cover is significantly high and we are very conscious about environmental protection.

But even we are subject to floods, droughts and other such problems. Nature does not recognize one individual nation although that nation may not have committed any acts detrimental to the conservation of the environment. As world community we have collectively committed these environmental harms and we have to find a solution collectively.

Q: As Minister-in-Charge of environment of the Western PC and former chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, can you tell whether there will be any threats from radiation etc?

A: Frankly, there is lot of fear in the country over that. Some people have stopped eating sea food and fish and others are trying to avoid exposing themselves to rain. The relevant authority in this regard is the Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka. Its Chairman Dr. Abeywickrama has clearly stated that Sri Lanka is not subject to any radiation threat from the Japanese nuclear plants.

So we are safe and they continue to monitor the environment and people coming from Japan. Although we are safe for now, it indicates our vulnerability any time in the future.

There are nuclear plants in India, especially in Southern India. So if there are such blasts in any of them, it is most likely that Sri Lanka would be affected. It would not be limited to the borders of India. It would affect neighbouring countries. It implies that nature does not recognise man-made boundaries.

Therefore, we must make efforts at an international level to avoid this kind of risky energy sources. We must promote natural energy sources as much as possible. The environment will protect us only if we protect the environment and that is the unwritten law of nature.

Q: Was the question of persuading industrial nations to take constructive measures to cut down on carbon emission discussed at the International Conference in Cancun, Mexico which you attended?

A: The USA contributes to twenty percent of the carbon emission and we cannot control the emission without the support of that country. But the USA's reaction was self-centered and they did not want to commit in writing, by signing an agreement for a program on compulsorily cutting down on carbon emission.

In that respect the USA is responsible for every single death caused by the 'so-called' natural disaster. Their lethal weapons, military warheads and missiles also contribute to global warming while destroying lives.

They are very particular about restoring democracy in the oil-rich countries and not in other countries. There are other countries under dictatorial rule of kings and queens in the Middle East who support the USA but have denied democracy to their people. They are not in the list of the USA.

Q: Colombo city and the many parts of the Western Province experienced continuous rains and floods some months ago, causing severe hardships to the general public and disrupting their day to day activities. Have steps been taken to successfully encounter a similar situation any time in the future?

A: Yes. We must express our gratitude to Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the very commendable job he has done through his UDA and the SLLRCC to manage the rain water in the Western Province. We have supported him in this endeavour. We are now engineered to a considerable extend to face the monsoonal rains starting in May this year.

Q:Is the 10 million home garden project being implemented in the Colombo city and other parts of the Western Province?

A: This is a national program that is being implemented by the central government throughout the country under the initiative of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

It is a very timely program introduced by the President and is more relevant and more important to the Western Province than the other provinces because the people of the Western Province are dependent on other provinces on the supply of food crops, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products.

During rainy seasons these supplies get disrupted and food crops, vegetables and fruits get ruined. So if we get vegetables, fruits etc grown in our province under the home garden program we will not have to depend on other provinces during times of emergencies. We have to express our gratitude to President Rajapaksa and Minister Basil Rajapaksa for introducing such a timely project.