Ratnapura MC UNP Mayoral candidate:

Intention to enhance lustre of Ratnapura

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

The last phase of the Local Government election campaign of 2011 is gathering momentum and all major parties are engaged in propaganda activities win power in the remaining 23 local bodies.

The United National Party, which is witnessing a simmering leadership crisis and is virtually divided into two factions, temporarily sunk its differences and launched an aggressive election campaign to retain the party's lost glory, on October 8. Most municipal councils in the country were under the UNP administration in the past, but this time, during the first two stages of the 2011 election, the UPFA was successful in winning most of the councils which had been considered UNP bastions earlier.

The Ratnapura Municipal Council, which had been upgraded into a MC in 1968, had been ruled by both major parties - the UNP and SLFP - since its inception and the 2011 election will elect its 10th mayor.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the mayoral candidate of the United National Party for the Ratnapura Municipal Council to ascertain the political situation and the chances of his party securing power at the forthcoming polls. Excerpts of the interview:

Q: You have been nominated by your party as the mayoral candidate for the Ratnapura Municipal Council. Can you briefly tell us how you entered politics and your political journey since then?

A: After completing my studies at three educational institutes in Ratnapura, I became a businessman following the footsteps of my father.

I had an inborn desire to work for the needy people in Ratnapura from my childhood. When I flourished as a successful gem businessman, I wanted to work for the downtrodden people of my area. The United National Party gladly accepted me and I contested the Local Election 2002 for the first time, won convincingly and was appointed Deputy Mayor in my first attempt. Since then, I have been continuously representing the Ratnapura MC as Deputy Mayor, Acting Mayor on four occasions and Opposition Leader, during which period I carried out many development activities for the benefit of Ratnapura's ratepayers.

I do not take my salary or any other perks from the MC and have directed all my entitlements to welfare activities of the area. I have also initiated a personal scholarship program for poor students in the Ratnapura MC area.

Q: You may be an honest and dedicated politician who has earned the admiration of people in your MC area. But your party is facing a crisis over the leadership issue as well as a heap of problems among its front-runners, which have demoralised the grass roots level membership. In such a situation, as the mayoral candidate, how can you secure power for the party? You have a bigger responsibility than the other candidates in your party.

A: Please don't forget that this is not an election to topple the government or the President. This election is to select popular, friendly, efficient and honest people from the area to see to the needs of the residents of this area. We are fielding efficient, educated, honest and trustworthy candidates from our party. I am very positive that we will win the Council for our party this time. Our inner conflict or other problems among the front-runners will have no effect at all with regard to the results of this election. All our leaders are equally busy in election propaganda activities.

Although Ratnapura is famous for its gem industry and many gem merchants are based here, it may be only about five percent of the population of the Ratnapura MC area. The remaining 95 percent comprise daily wage earners working in estates, gem pits and casual labourers attached to both private and public sector institutions. With the high cost of living, people are finding it difficult to make ends meet. The prices of essential food items have risen to unprecedented levels and poor people are forced to forego at least one meal per day. I move closely with the masses in Ratnapura and I get first-hand information about their subsistence patterns.

Q: Although the cost of living is high, people are happy with the dawn of peace in the country and invariably it will be an added advantage for the UPFA to secure more votes this time.

A: No doubt, the dawn of peace is a plus point for the Government. However the dividends of peace have not reached the poor people. Instead, they are burdened with more financial problems than during the terror period.

People here are angry with two former UNP stalwarts who crossed over to the UPFA. I know how people behave at local elections.

Q: According to the election manifesto of the former mayor, the Ratnapura MC had seen a large quantum of development activities to enhance the socio-economic standard of its ratepayers. How can you say that people are undergoing so many hardships?

A: I don't say that they have not done anything, but certain projects do not benefit the poor people in Ratnapura at all. They have spent millions of rupees to concrete certain roads which had been washed away even before two months. The sewerage system in the city area is in a deplorable condition. Even if it rains for two hours, drains start overflowing, inconveniencing the public. During our tenure of office, I, as the deputy mayor, introduced practical and effective programs to maintain the cleanliness of the city. I have acted as the Mayor on four occasions and have worked with the MC workers and labourers for almost 20 hours per day.

Q: In the event of a victory for the UNP, and you being appointed Mayor, what is your program of work for the betterment of the people in the Ratnapura MC?

A: I have already drawn up our future plans for the area and identified the priority areas. First and foremost, we have to put the house in order.

There is no discipline among some MC staff members. During the last few years, ratepayers have been complaining about negligence, inefficiency and delays in getting their work done at the Council. This situation has occurred mainly due to poor management.

We hope to take stern action against those who do not discharge their duties efficiently, promptly and honestly. There would be no room for corruption under my stewardship.

The sewerage system would be renovated, the road network would be modernised according to proper standards and the electricity supply and street lamps would be restored for the convenience of the city folk. Our comprehensive program of work extends to a number of other areas which are essential for the city dwellers to lead a fairly comfortable life with their limited income.

My desire and firm intention is to make my home town, Ratnapura, the most beautiful, clean and well-equipped city in the island.

I am quite confident that the Ratnapura people will vote for the UNP to make my dream a reality on October 8.