PSC, the way forward - Minister Dilan Perera

By Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera said the 13th Amendment is a good starting point for a political solution for the North and East. The Minister told the Sunday Observer that if politicians and society feels that Police powers and land powers enshrined in the 13th Amendment cannot be implemented due to practical issues, there is a way forward, that is all political parties should sit together and discuss to which extent these powers can be implemented.

The Minister said the ideal platform for this has also been set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who has decided to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to discuss all these matters. It is high time the moderate Tamil leadership of the TNA take over its leadership without allowing the LTTE mentality based extremist group in the TNA to take over its leadership.

The Minister appealed to the TNA not to play into the hands of the Sinhala extremist groups which he described as “Urumayas” and “Karumayas” who have said “no” to everything during the political history of our country. He also appealed to Sinhala extremists not to miss this opportunity because then they are only helping the remnants of the LTTE to rally round and seek international support.

Commenting on the internal crisis of the UNP, the Minister said it is up to the UNP to get on with the business of an Opposition party rather than squabbling over petty issues.

He said at present one section of the UNP is attacking the other. Both these sections say the best Leader that Sri Lanka can have is only President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This only shows that the Opposition whether it’s the Sajith faction or the Ranil faction have proved that it is only President Mahinda Rajapaksa who can lead this country.

However, the Minister earnestly appealed to both factions of the UNP to act together and behave like a responsible Opposition which can prove to the world and the people in this country that they are the alternative Government.

Q: There are arguments for an against the LLRC recommendations. Could you objectively view the report and give your views?

A: Obviously the LLRC recommendations has to have positive responses as well as negative responses. Because the LLRC report has been prepared by eminent people in our own country by taking evidence from people in the North, South and across the country as well. It is natural specially in Sri Lanka we have certain elements who want to have a negative approach about the LLRC report. Sri Lanka can easily ‘export’ people who can criticise a good document in 10 minutes. Because there are certain people who only know to criticise.

There are academics, politicians and media personnel who can criticise even a valid document 10 minutes and tear it into pieces. These people have now started criticising the LLRC report. The LLRC commission has to be commended for this report.

This is not a report like the Darusman report or any other international internationally sponsored report. This is prepared by Sri Lankans taking evidence from Sri Lankans all over the country. Because criticising the LLRC report is like criticising overselves.

Q: The West’s criticism is understandable. Because it is they who attacked the Goldstone Report on Israel. Would you like to comment on this?

A: It’s surprising to see people attacking the LLRC report. Some countries in the West are attacking the LLRC report. The TNA is rejecting it. Extreme political parties in the South are also criticising it.

The TNA is saying the LLRC report does not address the problems of the Tamil people.

Extremist groups in the South are saying this report is giving too much power to the Tamils.

What the TNA and these extreme political groups in the South are doing is to help vested interests who attempted to make war crime charges against our Armed forces and the Government since the day the war against terrorists was won.

Extremist Sinhala factions and the TNA want to carry a brief for the LTTE rump and on the other side, we get Sinhala extremists who are shouting against the LTTE . But what they are really doing is helping the LTTE cause. It’s high time we put a stop to this “Karumaya”, who call themselves Urumaya.

Q: The main obstacle for devolution of power is centred on the demand for land and Police powers. What are your views on this with reference to seizing of the country and the 30-year-old conflict?

A: My views about the 13th Amendment are very well known. In fact it was the Sunday Observer which carried an article about my opinion following an interview several years ago.

I was one of the first politicians in Sri Lanka who said the 13th Amendment was the political solution to the ethnic crisis. I sincerely believe in it and I feel that is the only way out. Land and police powers are already in the 13th Amendment and its an integral part of the Constitution. When we became MPs we gave the oath that we will abide by the Constitution. I don’t know why we are now talking about only one particular Amendment. We are bound to work according to the Constitution and the 13th Amendment is a part of the Constitution. If politicians and society feels the Police powers and land powers which are enshrined in the 13th Amendment cannot be implemented fully due to practical situations, there is a way forward.

That is all political parties to sit together and discuss to which extent those powers can be implemented. The ideal platform has been arranged by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who has decided to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to discuss these matters.

I feel 13th Amendment is a good starting point for us to find a political solution to the problems faced by the people in the North and the East. We must go towards the 13 Plus.

There are ways and means of achieving the 13 Plus. The TNA has a huge responsibility to talk to the Tamil people and bring them to discuss the formula to adopt a solution to the 13 plus. We have to take a step backward and two steps forward to achieve our objectives. The TNA consists of two sections. One section is the LTTE remnant.

The TNA also has moderate Tamil politicians and the Tamil people. If we take some TNA Politicians like R. Sampanthan and Sumanthiran, I consider them to be very moderate politicians. On the other hand we get a few TNA politicians who have never done anything for the people in Jaffna. These politicians have come to Parliament by arousing racist feelings among the Tamil people. These extreme groups are also with the TNA.

It is high time the moderate Tamil leadership of the TNA take over its leadership without allowing the LTTE mentality based extreme group in the TNA to take over its leadership. Therefore the TNA must be very careful and responsible in this effort. Because the moment the TNA keeps on saying ‘no’ to everything like what they are saying about the LLRC, they are only helping the Sinhala extreme groups the “karumayas” and “urumayas” who have always said “no” to everything. My appeal to the TNA is don’t play into the hands of the “urumayas” and “karumayas”. My appeal is don’t let this opportunity go because then they are only helping the remnants of the LTTE to get together and seek international support.

Q: Why can’t the Opposition support the Government move for a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in the interest of the future of the country?

A: Exactly. It is the duty of the Opposition to support the PSC in the interest of the country. The group in the TNA that rejects the PSC are only playing into the hands of the “urumayas” and the “karumayas”.

I am telling the TNA is not to do the mistake they did during the past Presidential Election. During the last Presidential Election, the TNA supported Sarath Fonseka. He was the person who went on record saying to an international magazine when he was the Army Commander, Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka are second class citizens. However, he was the person whom the TNA supported during the last Presidential Election.

By supporting Sarath Fonseka the TNA admitted to the world that they were second class citizens and they wanted that person to become the President and treat them as second class citizens. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his party and the politicians like us have always said there is no minority and there is nothing called second class citizens. We are Sri Lankans who love this country. This can be the last chance that the Tamil people might get their views across and find a solution to the ethnic problem in this country.

Q: Are you in favour of the abolition of the preferential voting system and proportional representation?

A: Certainly yes. I am definitely in favour of the abolition of the preferential voting system. But when it comes to the proportional representation system, I am of the opinion that we must have a model of electioneering where the first past the post system and proportional representation are in place so that every voter gets a chance to elect his or her representative for a particular area. By doing so, we must not discriminate or sideline the smaller political parties and also some of the parties like TNA, CWC and the SLMC. We must have a mixed system of the first past the post system and the proportional representation system.

The Government has taken a decision to take off the preferential voting system at Local Government level.

After that I feel the Government should take a decision to have a mixture of the proportional representation system coupled with the first past the post system to the Provincial Council and Parliamentary level and do away with the preferential voting system. Because preferential voting system has caused more problems than solutions.

Q: Some political elements argue that despite the launch of mega development projects its dividends have not passed down to the people. How would you meet this argument?

A: This is an absurd argument. Definitely dividends of these development projects have reached down to the people even those who live even at grass roots level. Because the economic growth of the country has passed eight percent right now.

The unemployment rate has declined to below 5 percent. The per capita income has doubled while poverty has gone down to nearly 7 percent.

The Government has improved infrastructure. President Mahinda Rajapaksa also opened the first ever expressway in Sri Lanka.

If you take my area, 99 percent of the Badulla-Colombo road through Ratnapura has been completed. Seventy five percent construction work on the Nuwara Eliya-Badulla road has been completed.

The road leading from Mahiyangana to Kandy via 18 bends has been constructed very well and 18 bends can now be travelled in less than 18 minutes.

Q: In a democracy, the Opposition is regarded as an alternative to the Government. How far is this correct as far as our Opposition is concerned?

A: Our Opposition is an Opposition which has proved that it is not an alternative to the Government. The UNP which is one of the oldest parties in Sri Lanka, what has happened to it now? I have not seen a single political party in the world where party members throw stones at their party headquarters. Even the SLFP had problems sometimes ago.

But SLFPers never threw stones at party headquarters. There maybe internal problems in political parties all over the world, but they don’t throw stones at party headquarters. Because this is their political shrine.

A faction led by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa and his supporters threw stones at the party headquarters. This goes to show that there are elements in the UNP who cannot accept defeat.

In politics we must be able to accept victory and defeat. It is obvious when Dayasiri Jayasekera lost the Mega Star SMS competition, everybody in Sri Lanka seen people getting on to the stage and hitting those who won.

One section of the UNP is attacking another section. Both sections say the best Leader that Sri Lanka can have is only President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The faction led by Sajith Premadasa is also led by Karu Jayasuriya. Earlier Karu Jayasuriya was a member of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet and was a Minister. Some politicians are in Ranil Wickremesinghe’s camp as well. It only goes show to that this country needs a Leader of the calibre of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

They have only proved that it is only President Mahinda Rajapaksa who can lead this country.

It is upto the UNP to get on with the business of an Opposition party rather than squabbling over petty issues. I don’t want to talk about the JVP because it is not a party accepted by the people. It has already gone into the political dustbin.

Q: The Badulla district is relatively backward. Will there be any mega development projects to improve the lot of the peasantry?

A: The Badulla-Colombo road and Badulla-Nuwara Eliya road is being constructed. The road from Ampara to Kandy via Mahiyangana is now over. If you take the roads in the Badulla district, mega roads are done up and there is a concrete road in villages at each Grama Niladhari division.

At least 25 or 30 kilometres of roads in each electorate in the district are being carpeted.

This is first time in the history of Badulla that roads are being carpeted in villages.

Electricity was one of the major problems faced by the Badulla district. Electricity has been provided to more than 85 percent of households in the district.

We will have hundred percent electricity supply in the Badulla district within the next year.

The education structure has improved in the Badulla district. Badulla is an agriculture based district. Paddy cultivation is done in the Lower Uva areas.

The fertiliser subsidy has immensely benefited farmers in Lower Uva. The fertiliser subsidy has also helped tea smallholders and vegetable growers in Upper Uva.

Q: Foreign remittances bring the highest amount of revenue to the country. Incidents of harassment and killing of expatriate workers are reported daily. What action do you propose to take to dispel fear among prospective workers?

A: The percentage of killings and harassment of expatriate workers have come down when compared with incidents that took place in the past five or six years. Nearly 95 percent of the deaths of expatriate workers are due to natural causes. However, 5 percent of the deaths are due to accidents and suicides.

There are a few cases even less than one percent where there are killings of expatriate workers as well.

Our Ministry is there to look into these grey areas and we have already looked into them.

Systems are being put in place to see how we can solve problems.

One particular area that Sri Lankans have not done well up to now is to appreciate the service rendered by workers in foreign countries.

What has the media done for these people? It is foreign employees of this country who brings us the highest amount of foreign exchange. It is not tea, rubber and coconut.

Remittances by our fellow country men working abroad who bring the highest remittance.

That is a tower of strength for our economy. What has we as Sri Lankans done to appreciate them? I started International Migration Day on December 18 to appreciate the services of migrant workers. The “Diri Seriya” march was organised to appreciate them.

Q: What is the present position regarding the foreign job market? Could we take any steps to further expand employment opportunities in Italy, Korea and Israel?

A: The Italian job market has been in demand for a long time in Sri Lanka. As we know there are some people who went to Italy through illegal means paying Rs. 2 million or Rs. 2.5 million. Italian jobs are in demand.

I was able to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Italian Government. From this year we will have a program where the people who want to go to Italy will not have to pay even twenty rupees. They will be trained in Italian language skills and will be able to work in Italy. The MoU between these two countries is an achievement.

The Korean employment sector is also a sector that has a great demand in Sri Lanka. I am thankful to the President for pioneering the Korean employment scheme. Until last year, we had only about 4000 Korean jobs per year. However, Korean employment opportunities have doubled this year. The minimum salary which was US$ 1000 until last year will be increased by 6.51 percent this year. Korea is also very keen to provide employment in the fisheries sector. We are now trying to see how we can enhance our employment market in Malaysia, Singapore, Israel and Middle East as well.

Q: Are there any special welfare schemes launched for the benefit of expatriate workers?

A: Reintegration is one area that will be looked at very seriously in 2012. I want to see how I can assist returning migrant workers to reintegrate into society. The President has announced tax relief in the Budget for returning migrant workers. A-five-year income tax holiday has been granted to migrant workers who start a business with remittances.

Low interest loan schemes are also given to migrant workers. I am trying to start a “Rataviru Village Program”.

Q: Unsuspecting job seekers still fall victim to unscrupulous job agents. Some of them have lost their lives and limbs. Is there no mechanism to regulate the recruiting procedure?

A: We are trying to see how we can grade job agents. From this year we will have five star, four star and three star agents.

The people will be educated about the agents who have done well and who have not done well. We have also prepared a code of ethics for job agents with effect from this year. We are trying to see how we can implement that grading system to job agents who are the partners in foreign countries as well.

Then we can grade the partners of local agents abroad as well. Job agents who exploit workers will be dealt with severely. My policy to them is the football policy of two yellows and one red.