UPFA will win by over 70 percent in Matale

Parakrama Dissanayake a one-time war hero who contributed towards defeating LTTE terrorism in the country entered politics following the footprints of his elder brother Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake. As a former Member of the Central Provincial Council he feels that he could serve the Matale district. The Sunday Observer had the following interview with Parakrama Dissanayake during a visit to Central Province to observe the election campaign in the province.

Question: What made you to enter politics after serving as a war hero for more than 12 years?

Answer: As a person born to a family of farmers I first served in the Sri Lanka Army joining the Commando regiment. I was able to work jointly with my brother Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake in developing the Matale district.

As a war hero I was invited to contest the Central Provincial Council in 2009 and I became a Member of the Central Provincial Council. I think could fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the Matale district during that period and hope to be with the people in the future too to serve them as a politician.

Q:What kind of a program has the UPFA put forward for the development of the Matale district and how confident are you about the programs implemented by the former Provincial Council to address the problems of the people living here in Matale district?

A: Central Province is a very important province out of the nine provinces in the country. It is an agricultural district, a district with historical value, natural beauty and a district rich in number of raw materials, and contributing immensely to the economic development of the country, bio diversity. It is also a very important location for several sports.

The people living in this district have made so many sacrifices to protect this country from the invaders of the country and for the independence of the country.

Therefore this district is contributing a lot to direct this country towards development from every sector. Above all the Matale district is in the frontline in education. We have no fear at elections as we have done service to the district as well as the province such as developing drinking water projects, road construction, electricity projects and improving the health sector.

We have done so much to improve the living standard of the people in the Matale district through all our programs. We are sure that we will be able to obtain more than 70 percent of the votes in the district.

Q: As you mentioned earlier you are happy about the overall development of the district. But there are some areas which do not have access to common facilities such as electricity and water. How do you propose to join these areas also into the development drive?

A: There are some areas in the district which cannot be reached due to their geographical locations. For instance if we take Laggala electorate it share 48 percent of the land area in the Matale district but the population living there is relatively low. All the other electorates are small in land extent but the population living in those electorates are higher than Laggala.

We may be having difficulties in providing all the infrastructure facilities to the Laggala area due to its geographical location. But we have been able to give equal opportunities and rights to those people also. If we take the mineral sand deposits in Vilgamuwa they are providing sand to the country.

They are producing paddy to the country through the Minipe irrigation project. Though the area is remote we have provided them the required facilities by having drinking water and irrigation projects. We have constructed many remote roads in Vilgamuwa by using interlocking cement blocks and concrete. Our effort is to have a balanced economy in the district despite their geographical locations and difficulties.

Q: The media highlights many election related incidents in the district in the Matale district specially due to clashes among the UPFA candidates and the supporters. Why has such a situation arisen in the district and who are responsible for these?

A: There is high enthusiasm among the people about the election due to our commitment for the development of the district. They are waiting till the election date to cast their vote in support of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. They are confident about his policies as he is the only leader who was able to win the confidence of the people in the recent history of Sri Lanka.

Q:There are allegations that state resources are being used for the election campaign in the district. Since your brother is also a Deputy Minister in the Government, these allegations are also pointed at you. How are you responding to those allegations?

A: We reject those allegations. If we take the UPFA candidates there are so many people to support them. They are supporting us because they want to protect the Government and the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore the private sector people as well as the state sector people are also very enthusiastic about electing the UPFA candidates at the election campaign.

We are getting enough support from the private sector and there is no need to use state resource for our campaign because people are very much engaged in our election campaign. If we get enough support from the people why should we use state resources to get the support of the people.

Q:Do you have any challenge from the Opposition?

A:We don't have any challenge from the Opposition at all. The UNP is now dragged to its lowest level in the politics in the recent political history of the country under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe. JVP has no say in politics now. That party cannot be salvaged at all. They are losing the grass roots level leadership in politics like the way they lost their membership at the national level politics. If there is any members in the JVP they may be people who are not having any family or having nothing to do in their life. Since they don't have any commitment they are engaged in JVP politics. Otherwise any person leading a normal life is not engaged in JVP politics as they are aware that they don't have any future by engaging in JVP politics. We don't have any challenge either from the UNP or JVP or from Wickremabahu Karunaratne.

Q: Due to the collapse of the Opposition, the competition for preferential votes among the UPFA candidates have increased. What do you think of this situation and how do you face this situation?

A: The competition for preferential votes among candidates is due to the electoral system that prevails in the country. All the politicians need to get rid of this situation. But to survive within the existing system we also have to face this situation and obtain preferential votes and increase our preferential votes. We are engaged in this process within the democratic framework. The election related violence in this district is very low in the district compared to the previous elections held in the district. This is so because we have been able to work with a good knowledge about the system.

Q:What type of result are you expecting from the Matale district?

A: We think the UPFA will be able to get more than 70 percent of the votes in the district at this election. We are hoping to send nine Members of the UPFA to the Council from the Matale district. By doing so we are expecting to engage in Provincial Council within the powers give to the Council under the 13th amendment to the Council as well as keeping good relationship with the central government and the President.

Q: There is a big competition for the Chief Minsters post among the candidates of the three districts in the province. According to your opinion which district will get that chance this time?

A: Any candidate contesting the election prefers if he or she given that post. But the final decision as to who should be entitled for this post lies with the President and he will take that decision considering all the factors and the background of the person. Not a single decision taken by him earlier has gone wrong. As people in the Matale district we are requesting the Chief Ministers post for the Matale district. We have responsibility to do so because we all like if a person from this district becomes the Chief Minister of the Provincial Council. But we always will be with the President's decision and we are ready to work with the President to make the Mashinda Chinthana program a reality in this country. We will be with any decision which will be taken for the benefit of the country and the betterment of the country and we are ready to fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the country.