A vibrant Northern region our hope - Minister Devananda

By Ranil Wijayapala

A former militant turned politician and now a Cabinet Minister in the present UPFA Government, Douglas Devananda prior to the announcement of the Provincial Council elections for the North expressed his willingness to contest the elections as the Chief Ministerial candidate. But his name was missing in the UPFA Nominations List. Instead of contesting the elections, Minister Devananda has taken a lead role in the UPFA campaign in the North for the Provincial Council elections. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Minister Devananda says that his dream of becoming the Chief Minister of the North is still alive and that chances were there for him to become the Chief Minister if the UPFA gets the opportunity to run the Northern Provincial Council. In his interview, he also expressed many views about the forthcoming elections and various issues confronting the Northern people.

Excerpts of the interview

Q: Prior to the announcement of the Northern Provincial Council elections you have on many occasions expressed your willingness to contest the elections and about your dream to become the Chief Minister in the North. But you are not contesting the elections this time around. What made you to take this decision?

A: President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted me to be in the Cabinet since I am the only Tamil Minister in the Cabinet. He does not want to lose the one and only Tamil Minister in the Cabinet. On the other hand, I have been nominated to the Parliament Select Committee. That is the most important thing. There is no other Tamil representation in the Parliamentary Select Committee. If I resign from the Parliament there is no one to represent the PSC. Since I firmly believe that it is only through the Parliament Select Committee we can find a solution to the Northern peoples problems. It is important for me to be in the Select Committee.

Q: Is there any possibility for you becoming the Chief Minister if the UPFA win the Northern Provincial Council election?

A: Although I am not contesting the election I can get into the system. It can be done after our people resign from their seats once they are elected. There is no problem about that.

Q: What are your expectations for the Northern Provincial Council when the UPFA is elected?

A: I will tell the people that we will give them a good future. We expect to convert the Northern region into a prosperous region like Singapore and Japan. We want it to be a vibrant region in all aspects. That is what we expect to do once we get elected to run the Provincial administration in the North.

Q: What are the prospects for the UPFA to win the Northern Provincial Council election since there is a huge challenge for the UPFA from the Tamil National Alliance?

A: There is a fifty percent chance for the UPFA to win the Northern Provincial Council elections.

Q: There is a perception that the Government is having doubts about winning the Northern Provincial Council elections and that is why you are not contesting the elections?

A: I am also from the Government. I don't have any doubt about that. We think there is a fifty percent chance for us to win the elections. We earlier had Local Government elections in the North. In that election TNA got majority Local Government bodies but we also able to get few Local Government bodies. A latest survey conducted has revealed that the people are disappointed with the administration of those local Government bodies because they could not do anything for the people in those Local Government Authority areas. Therefore, people will think wisely this time when electing Members to the Provincial Council. They are aware of the fact that to get things done in their areas they must select the Members from the ruling party. Otherwise, they will have to get disappointed this time too. Apart from that the Government is also carrying out a massive development drive there in the North. People are very happy with the development process taking place there in the North. On the other hand, people in the North also not happy with the TNA politics as they are engage in opponent politics. But our politics is amicable politics. People no longer approve the TNA policies. So this time we think we have more chances of winning the elections.

Q: The Tamil National Alliance has fielded a candidate who does not have a political background as their Chief Ministerial candidate. How do you see their decision?

A: They have fielded their Chief Ministerial candidate due to the external pressures on them. He has nothing to do with politics. But fortunately or unfortunately he is taking our political line at the election platform. He is also advocating what we were advocating for the past two decades. He is also talking about development of the North and other issues which we were advocating for the last 20 years.

Q: Will that be a disadvantage for the UPFA at the election?

A: No that won't be a problem for us because people know what we were doing for the past two decades. During the last two decades I was advocating that we can solve the problem of the people in the North and East only through the 13th amendment to the Constitution. Now they are also taking that stance. Not because they want to solve the problem but to keep the problem alive and drag on it to the future also.

That is their policy. On through that way only they can keep the people with them. When I was telling that through the 13th amendment only we can solve the problem, the TNA is saying that they want to show the unity of the Tamil community to the international community.

In the past also they showed their unity to the international community, but what happened? Did international community come and help us? Nothing happened. So people should realise who are cheating them and who are genuinely want to help them. I have no doubt that this time they will take the correct decision.

Q: As a Constituent Party of the UPFA the EPDP has been given a leading role in the Northern Provincial Council election. As the EPDP leader how do you take up this challenge?

A: As a constituent party of the UPFA I was always doing that on behalf of the party. So this is nothing new to me and I am taking up that challenge effectively. I am getting the necessary support from the UPFA for that.

Q: There is a perception among certain quarters of society and also among Members of the Government also that people in the North can be satisfied through development and that there is no necessity to have other solutions for them. Do you agree with this perception?

A: They want development. There is no doubt about that. At the same time they also need rehabilitation and also their political rights.

Q: So what are the mechanisms put in place to ensure their political rights ?

A: Through the Provincial Council system they can be given their political rights. Now the TNA is campaigning against the Government for not implementing the 13th amendment fully by taking the issue at the international level. They say that Police and Land powers should be given to the Provincial Councils.

Earlier the TNA said that they don't have any hope on the 13th amendment and there is nothing in it. Now they think that if I am elected to the Northern Provincial Council I may get those powers to the Provincial Councils. Then they get disturbed. The policy of the TNA is they first ask for tea but when we give them tea they will say that they want coffee. If we give coffee, they will say they need coke. They are having that type of attitude. Therefore, I don't think that people in the North will get cheated from their dubious policies. People will not remain with them in future.

Q: The incidents taking place in the North are highlighted in the media locally and internationally making the Government responsible for those incidents. How do you react to such allegations?

A: After the defeat of the LTTE in 2009, no such incidents are happening in the North. As a person living in Jaffna I don’t see such a situation in the North. That regime is over now. Law and order is maintained there in the North now.

Q: But time to time such incidents are reported in the North and they are highlighted in the media also?

A: This sort of things happened in the South also earlier. There were human rights violations in the South also. But now such incidents are very rare in the South now. Likewise after the defeat of the LTTE such incidents are very rare in the North specially in Jaffna peninsula. What I have observed is that some sections are trying to show that the situation prevailed in the North earlier is prevailing now also. They highlight the issues in the past as things are happening at present. I don’t see any new incidents cropped up in the North for any person to pint finger at the government. There may be incidents, but such incidents are normally happening in the other parts of the country also. They are not restricted to the North.

Q: The Government is carrying out a development drive in the North. Are you satisfied with the way the development process is being carried out?

A: Yes of course I am satisfied with the development process taking place in the North. But we need more development to take place in the North.

Q: Can you explain what kind of development you want to take place in the North and what are the aspects that should be addressed through the development drive?

A: The Government has taken into consideration two things when developing the North. The previous government neglected development in the North because of the war situation in the North. But our Government has given priority to the North and allocating more money for the Northern Province which was neglected earlier.

This Government for the past four years has spent more than the amount that had spent by the governments in the post independents Sri Lanka for the development of the North. But we need more development to take place in the North and the Government is allocating more funds on the development of the North.

Q: The Indian fishermen’s poaching the territorial waters of Sri Lanka has become a big issue at present. This situation is affecting the local fishermen and as well as the Government also. How do see the impact of this poaching issue?

A: This situation is affecting our country in two ways.

Indian fishermen have already destroyed their sea area and are now shifting to our areas destroying these areas as well. On the other hand, the day- to-day livelihood is also affected by this situation.

Bottom trawling is banned in Indian waters as well as Sri Lankan waters. Since Bottom trawling is baned in their territory they are coming to our side.

This should be stopped. They are cutting fishing nets of our fishermen and threatening our fishermen as well. Earlier our fishermen were not allowed to fish in the deep seas. After we defeated the LTTE and cleared everything for them to engage in fishing without any restrictions but because of the Indian fishermen they cannot engage in fishing in Sri Lankan waters peacefully.

Q: What kind of action do you suggest should be taken to solve this issue?

A: Now fishermen who are caught poaching on our side to custody. At the same time we are trying to negotiate to find an amicable solution to this issue after discussions with the two communities.

The Indian fishing community and the Sri Lankan fishing community are negotiating over this issue. I think they will find an acceptable solution in the near future.

Q: Despite the attempts by the Government to reduce the military presence in the North the TNA and other interested parties are accusing the Government of further militarising the North. Is there any basis for these allegations?

A: They are making these allegations for political reasons. The Security Forces are systematically releasing lands and houses they occupied to the civilian population. Many villages which were under the Security Forces have now been released to civilians and it will happen in the future also.

Q: How do you explain the presence of the military in the North in future?

A: Their presence in the North is a requirement for national security. What we are suggesting is that they should be accommodated in the North without affecting the day- to-day life of the people in the North.

Q: How do you plan to solve the issues relating to the post-conflict situation such as war widows and disabled people?

A: Even at present there are mechanisms to assist the people affected through the Government as well as with the involvement of the Non Governmental Organizations. I know problems still persist in the North. But we are systematically addressing these issues after conducting a proper survey.

Q: Earlier there were reports that former LTTE members were contesting the Provincial Council elections under the UPFA list.

But these names were missing in the Nominations List. How do you explain this situation?

A: What I have to say is that rumours will never be a reality. At the same time the UPFA is a coalition and the main political party, the SLFP fielded their own candidates and other political parties also including us fielded our own candidates. That is how it happened.

Q: How do you see the aspect of former combatants coming into mainstream politics?

A: When we refer to former combatants they no longer follow their former policies. Therefore they are involved with their day- to-day life and not in politics, because they were recruited to the LTTE by force.

Therefore, they were not following any political ideology. They were just following orders. Now that they are free from these orders they no longer have any political view. They have not been politicised.

There have no desire to contest elections. But in time to come they may engage in politics and will enter the political system.

They can contest the election as Independent groups or they can join other political parties and contest the election. That will happen in the future.

Q: How do you measure the situation in the North to have free and fair elections?

A: In the past also we had free and fair elections in the North. So this situation will remain in the North this time around as well. The TNA usually complains that there are malpractices in the election campaign.

But when they are given a chance to express their views they remain silent. But in the event they don't win the election they will definitely say that polls were rigged. That is the nature of the TNA and people understand this situation.