UNP has distanced itself from people - Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

Simple and accessible, Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena is a proponent of various micro level development programs that enabled the people to improve their quality of life. He had his maiden entry into politics in 1973. As the Investment Promotion Minister he has an important role to play in the context of economic prosperity of the country. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the UNP has not introduced the new draft Constitution in good faith. At present Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has faced the challenge of securing victory at the Presidential Election. Therefore, the aim of UNP’s draft Constitution is to switch back to the Parliamentary system and somehow grab power.

He said since the UNP is not in a position to win at an election, it attempts to provide some sort of stimulant to the people who have distanced themselves from the party, to think afresh. When there is provision to amend the Constitution, there is no necessity to introduce an entirely new Constitution to the country.

The Minister who commented on the recent tragedy of fishermen in the South said that it is too early to put the blame or criticise the meteorological department officials. At present a committee has been appointed to look into this incident so that it would reveal whether this tragedy had occurred due to the lack of necessary equipment in the Meteorological Department or whether its officials had shirked their responsibility. Lack of important facilities to signal an imminent danger or disaster would certainly not be in the interest of the country. However, the Minister said that he did not wish to put the entire blame on the Meteorological Department or the Minister-in-charge regarding this tragedy.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: The 13th Amendment had become part of the Constitution since its enactment in 1987. How do you explain the present controversy over it?

A: The 13th Amendment was introduced by late President J.R. Jayewardene to bring a political solution to the North. Finally it failed to fulfill its ultimate objective. Under the 13th Amendment, the Provincial Council system was implemented in other provinces of the country. The 13th Amendment was passed in Parliament with two-thirds majority. If 13th Amendment is to be changed, a political solution which goes beyond it has to be evolved. The Government has not taken any decision whatsoever to abolish the 13th Amendment or the Provincial Council system. A few major issues have come up with regard to certain clauses in the 13th Amendment. One is that there are certain provisions in the 13th Amendment which could pose a challenge to the supremacy of Parliament. People through their elected representatives have formed the Parliament as the Legislature to formulate laws. If any decision taken by the legislature is challenged by a Provincial Council, such action amounts to undermining the supremacy of Parliament. Therefore, the perception is that an amendment to the Constitution is necessary to prevent any such challenges to supremacy of Parliament. If the Government intends to introduce changes to the 13th Amendment, it will be done after consulting all political parties.

Q: Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had attributed the inefficiency of the public service as the prime cause for the recent fishermen’s tragedy. Don’t you think apart from this incident the public service has to be geared to the needs of the country which is on a rapid cause of development?

A: I don’t agree with the fact that this tragedy occurred due to the inefficiency of the public service. For example, if there is something wrong in a car, even a highly competent motorist cannot win at a race. When the report on this fishermen’s tragedy is released, it would help find out whether the Meteorological Department officials are right or wrong. A committee has been appointed to look into this incident so that it would reveal whether this tragedy had occurred due to lack of equipment at the Meteorological Department or whether its officials had shirked their responsibility.

Therefore, it is too early to put the blame or criticise the Meteorological department officials. In various instances in the past, the Meteorological department had rightly signalled the people on the imminent disasters caused by weather conditions. Sometimes the Meteorological department would not have communicated this adverse weather condition due to some technical defect. I can’t however confirm this fact.

Q:Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the grief-stricken fishermen at Balapitiya could be interpreted as an attempt at fishing in troubled waters. Yet the Opposition Leader should have freedom to talk to any set of people and exchange views with them. How do you look at this scenario?

A: First, I would like to say that the Opposition Leader should have the democratic right to tour any part of the country. If somebody attempts to obstruct his movements, I don’t agree with it. But this is not the way a responsible Opposition Leader should have behaved. It is not the duty of a responsible Opposition to visit funerals of fishermen or accuse the Meteorological Department to take undue political advantage from such issues.

At the same time, nobody has the moral right to assault Opposition Leader or any Opposition politician who attended the funerals of the ill-fated fishermen. Merely because a group of people had become aggressive, they cannot deprive the democratic right of politicians or the people to attend funerals or talk to people.

Q: The TNA appears to be not interested in seeking a solution to the Tamil question but waits for outside powers, be it UN or any foreign agent, to create Eelam for them. How do you look at TNA’s intransigence to political realities?

A: Actually the TNA is causing a great injustice to the Tamil people. Tamils had suffered 30 years due to the terrorist war and most of their properties had been destroyed by the LTTE. The LTTE should take the entire responsibility of destroying the lives and property of Tamil people. If the TNA made representations at the Parliamentary Select Committee(PSC), they could have rectified most of the injustices, wrongdoings committed by the LTTE. The TNA should have participated in the PSC deliberations and discussed their issues with the Government.

Q:The UNP has drafted a new Constitution. Do you think we need an entirely new Constitution or use the present Constitution by amending any obnoxious provisions?

A: Amendments could be brought to the present Constitution. Since the UNP is not in a position to win at an election, it attemps to provide a sort of stimulant to the people to think afresh. The UNP under the pretext of this draft Constitution has launched a political campaign. At present, the UNP has distanced itself from the people and as such it attempts to give the impression to the country that it will abolish the Executive Presidency in collaboration with all other political parties. So the people may think that the UNP is going to make a massive change in the country.

This is not a change the UNP will effect in good faith. It was the UNP which introduced this 1978 Constitution. At that time, Ranil Wickremesinghe was also a Minister of the Cabinet. Several occasions he had expressed his view about the stability of the Presidential system and the need to safeguard it. Today Wickremesinghe has faced the problem of winning at a Presidential Election. Therefore, the essence of UNP’s draft Constitution is to switch back to Parliamentary system and somehow grab power. There are merits and demerits of a Presidential system. Under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the powers of the Executive Presidency have never been abused or misused. A President can abuse his powers if he intends to do so under the Executive Presidency. The UNP has not introduced this constitutional change in good faith.

Q:The Dengue epidemic is another incidence where the inefficiency of stake-holders has come into sharp focus. Cannot we set up an all-powerful body to punish offenders on the spot irrespective of status?

A: It is being done. Some responsible Government officers have been punished. Within the democratic framework, the Government could take legal action against the offenders.

However, the Government alone is not in a position to fulfill this task. The public and all stakeholders should make their effective contribution to combat the Dengue epidemic. Countries such as Singapore have properly implemented their Dengue prevention campaign due to the commitment by its people to keep their environment clean. Public participation is vital to combat Dengue. This cannot however be done only by taking legal action.

Q:Some critics including Venerable Mahanayaka Theras are up in arms against any Casino promotion in Sri Lanka. Is there any truth in this, if not what made the critics to suspect such a move?

A: Casinos are in Sri Lanka for a long time beginning with leading Casino businessman Jocim. These Casinos are not opened by this Government. Some Casinos are in front of schools and temples.

Some people talk of setting up the Crown Plaza in Sri Lanka. Australian Casino businessman James Packer is the main shareholder of Crown Plaza and he is regarded as the third richest person in Australia.

This investment to be made in Sri Lanka is a “mixed development” - not a Casino. Crown Plaza is an apartment which consists of restaurants, dinning rooms and a five star hotel. The Government will not issue any Casino permit to Crown Plaza and it is not even in the Agreement. In the agreement, James Packer has pledged to provide 2,600 direct employment within four years. In addition, a large number of indirect employment will also be generated. The Government anticipates 2.5 million tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka by 2016. If this kind of mixed development projects are not established, we would not be able to reach our targets. For example, Thailand is also a Buddhist country. A large number tourists visit Thailand due to facilities available.

I categorically deny that the Government has given approval for a Casino. The Government has only given approval to the Crown Plaza to set up a mixed development project in Sri Lanka.

Q: Apart from China, India and Japan, have there been major investors from European countries. Have not the economic and financial crisis in the Western world affected Sri Lanka’s development programs?

A: The world economic and financial crisis has not made a serious impact on us.

We have investments from many countries including Germany, Australia, Canada and France. Our target is to bring US$ 2 billion worth Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to Sri Lanka from European and Asian countries during this year.

Now we are signing agreements for these projects. We have attracted US$ 218 million worth FDI to Sri Lanka from January to April this year.