People have confidence in the UNP - Sanjeew Karunathilake

by Ranil Wijayapala

Hailing from a well reputed political family in the South, Sanjeew Karunathilake, son of former UNP Minister Rupa Karunathilake has entered politics from the UNP to contest the Southern Provincial Council election from the Galle district. He is confident that he will be able to continue the services rendered by his father to the people in Galle district. He says that his party has organised well to make the forthcoming election victorious for the UNP. The Sunday Observer interviewed Sanjeew Karunathilake while he was engaged in his campaign in Galle district.

Q: You have entered active politics after two and half years after the demise of your father. So how can you explain your aim in entering politics?

A: I entered politics two and half years after my father's death to serve the people in the Galle district and to take forward the service initiated by my father in the Galle district. The people in Galle want me to follow what my father did to the district. That is what people expect from me.

Q: Why didn't you enter politics when your father was alive?

A: I had an idea to contest the general election in 1994 as I did politics with my father in Bentara Elpitiya electorate. Since there was a party decision not to give nominations for the family Members of the former UNP Ministers and MPs I missed that opportunity. This year I got an invitation from my party to join hands with the UNP members in the district and work towards the victory of the party.

Q: Do you think this is the most opportune time for you to enter politics from the United National Party?

A: I think this is the best time for me to enter politics and continue my service to the people in the Galle district.

Q: People think UNP has already broken into groups and it has no proper leadership at present?

A: There is no such problem with the United National Party. It is more stronger than ever and we are in a position to win the election after the formation of the leadership council.

Through this leadership council we will be able to take the party towards victory at the Provincial Council election and also the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections too. We have a very good organisation structure within the party to face all these challenges and future elections.

Q: Do you think people have confidence in the organising structure of the UNP?

A: They have a confidence on organising capability of the party because they know that it was the United National Party which took the country towards speedy development drive. It was the UNP which made the lives of people better. The economy of the country has always been stabilised when the UNP governments were in power.

The UPFA Government used to talk about the war in the past and now talking about Geneva problem when the people of this country are struggling with the sky rocketing cost of living. Therefore, people have confidence in the UNP as it was the only party which could provide solutions for their problems. They know that it is only under UNP regimes they could reap the benefits of the development.

Q: Do you think that UNP is having grass roots level program to make these plans a reality?

A: I am sure that all the grassroots level UNP organisations are strengthened to achieve this task.

If we take Galle district we have already established village level branches of the party and already had Balamandala meetings. We have laid a strong foundation to make our victory a reality at this provincial council election.

Q: But we see some sort of backwardness in the UNP election campaign. How do you view this situation?

A: I don't see any such situation in our campaign. If we take Galle district, there is no ability for the SLFP to have village level pocket meeting.

But among the UNP candidates there is no such competition and we are conducting our campaign in a more successful manner.

Q: We used to hear at every election UNP is going to start their first campaign to topple the government from that election. But it had never be come a reality. So will this election also be yet another election for the UNP?

A: We don't think this election will be such an election. There is a limit for the people to be misled. The Government cannot make them fools again and again. They are running their lives with great difficulty.

Today there are no drugs in hospitals and people have to purchase drugs from pharmacies. So people no longer bear these sufferings in their lives. I am sure they will make UNP victorious at this election.

Q: You earlier mentioned that Government is running its election campaign hanging on a Geneva resolution. But is the Government also pointing a finger at the UNP for supporting such resolution in Geneva?

A: We never betrayed our country. What we say is that the Government is carrying out a misinformation campaign about the Geneva resolution and trying to get a sympathy vote from the people.

We firmly say that there is nothing serious in the Geneva resolution as campaigned by the Government.

Q: We see a trend that the second generation of leading politicians are joining politics at the Provincial Council election. How do you see this trend?

A: I am different from them. I have entered politics 14 years after my father retired from politics and after two and half years after his demise.

If we take other members they are entering politics when their father is acting as Ministers or in active politics. My situation is totally different from them.

Q: You have mentioned in your election materials that you are going to have your own program to serve the people without blaming others. What kind of program do you have in mind to serve the people?

A: We have a proper program for the development of the province. Now we see that all the sectors in the province collapsed to the lowest position.

So we have a better program to solve the issues in the health and education sectors and improve the infrastructure facilities in the province. We are confident that we can solve these issues. We should give priority for the health and education sectors in the province.

Q: Do you think that you can make those services to the people whilst in the Opposition?

A: Even when we are in the Opposition we can do a better service to the people. But we are sure that we can win the election and do a better service to the people.