UNP is not against raising loans for development - Imthiaz Bakeer Markar

By Jaliya Wijeyekoon

The United National Party was founded by D.S. Senanayake way back in 1946 with the unstinted support rendered by all community leaders of the day who fought for independence leaving aside petty communal agendas. Muslim community was represented by Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel and T.B. Jayah, who later became Cabinet Ministers. Jayah was appointed Minister of Labour in the first UNP government headed by D.S. Senanayake.

Since the inception of the United National Party upto the present day Muslim Leaders of the country had joined in the UNP and worked with UNP leaders for the betterment of the countrymen irrespective of communal differences. They commanded the respect of the Sinhala community equally and functioned as true statesmen. Some of these Muslim leaders were from predominantly Sinhala Buddhist areas but they established their political strongholds under the United National Party as they worked for the people based on party policies and principles irrespective of communal differences. All the UNP leaders had able Muslim lieutenants under their wings who rendered a great service to the nation. Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake reposed enormous confidence in Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel and Naina Marikkar; President J.R. Jayewardene on A.C.S. Hameed and Bakeer Markar; Ranasinghe Premadasa on M.H. Mohamed M.N.M. Mansoor and then Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed young Imthiaz Bakeer Markar as his Media Minister during his tenure of office from 2001-2004. Imthiaz Bakeer Markar is a well respected politician from Beruwala electorate who filled the vacuum left by his beloved late father, former Speaker Bakeer Markar, a well-known politician.

The Sunday Observer had an interview with Imthiaz Bakeer Markar about his political activities and party's position and future program of the UNP with regard to the forthcoming Presidential election. Excerpts are as follows:

Q: You had been an active UNP supporter from your schooldays and finally ended up as a Cabinet Minister, you also held a number of positions in the party and discharged all your duties quite diligently and with devotion and dedication. But during the last few years you were not involved in party activities. What is the reason for your silence?

A: Yes, the UNP politics is in my blood from my birth due to my father's influence at home and thereafter as a student I was deeply impressed in the history of our great leaders such as D.S. Senanayake and C.W.W. Kannangara. Then as a senior student I had the privilege to work closely with former Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake and other stalwarts in the activities of our student movement "Eksath Samavadi Shishya Peramuna".

That is how my political career evolved. I climbed the political ladder to become a Cabinet Minister. However, I didn't contest any election since 2004. But it didn't mean that I was away from the party or politics. I gave my 100 percent support at all subsequent elections held since 2004.

I supported UNP candidates of the recently concluded Uva PC elections too. So I believe it is wrong to say that I was silent for sometime.

Q: Now that you have been reappointed a member of the decision-making body of your party, the Working Committee, what are your future plans?

A: Well, it is too early for me to give an elaborate answer since I have not been entrusted with a particular task as yet. But whatever it may be, I shall do my utmost to bring back my party to power at the next election.

Q: Why don't you seriously think of taking over your former electorate and try to consolidate the party in the Kalutara District?

A: I represented the Kalutara district for over 16 years and fulfilled my duties to the people to my fullest potential. I have given an undertaking to my people in Beruwala and as a principled politician I do not want to deviate from my original stand.

Q: But if people from Beruwala request you to do so, you have a bounden duty to listen to them?

A: My father and I have served the people of Beruwala for nearly five decades. Now it's time for somebody else to take the place. Whoever the person that party fields for Beruwala, I shall give my fullest support for him to win the electorate for the party.

Although I do not wish to contest the election, I shall never forget my people of Beruwala electorate and Kalutara district who supported me to obtain highest number of preferential votes.

Q. Has your party hierarchy sorted out all internal disputes which plagued the party for the last number of years?

A: The Party is now on the correct track with all dissident groups coming together and pledging to support the leader at any election in future. Everybody is working with the firm intention of forming a UNP regime in the near future.

Q: The formation of Leadership Council marked the revival of the UNP after a long spell of defeats and the party has got a new lease of life with the party's performance at the Uva PC elections. How do you view this situation?

A: Well, it is a positive step taken by the party front-runners having listened to Maha Sanga, to form a leadership council. Different ideas were put together, different strategies were adopted while maintaining the party discipline which resulted in consolidating the alienated factions of the party. Especially the Uva PC election marked the definite turning-point of the future victory of UNP at any national election. The UPFA government did its utmost to secure an easy victory at Uva but the results proved that the popularity of the UPFA government had drastically dropped and only managed to have a marginal victory. In this backdrop it is not difficult for the UNP to mobilise the masses all over the country and secure victory for the party at a future election.

Q: The Importance of a vibrant propaganda machinery is indispensable for UNP to come back to power. Has the party high command given thought to this vital need?

A: Our party is fully aware of this vital need and already taken a number of measures to educate the public through our grass roots level organisations.

It is regrettable to note that although there is a large number of media institutions both print and electronic, none of them carry adequate news about the main Opposition UNP. Sometimes they even distort news.

That is a very sad situation. Even the private media institutions are badly politicised.

Q: What is UNP's position with regard to the Executive Presidency? Is it to abolish or make President answerable to Parliament and do away with other obnoxious features?

A: It's true that this Constitution was introduced by the UNP. But with the 18th amendment the power of the Executive Presidency reached Himalayan heights. Our party will certainly introduce a people-friendly new Constitution if we win the next Presidential election. Discussions are already in progress in this regard.

Q: The UNP is vociferous in its criticism of raising massive foreign loans for development. How can a government develop a country with limited budgeted funds alone?

What is UNP's strategy?

A: Our party is not against for raising loans for development activities. We are only against for raising massive loans for activities which do not pay dividends but only drive the country to a economic crisis.

Proper planning and economic assessment, feasibility studies and viability of the projects should be carefully scrutinised before venturing into massive projects carried out on foreign loans. It is rather doubtful whether these factors are taken into consideration by the government.

Q: Some people say that UNP is not serious about country's territorial integrity, National security and the welfare of the low income groups. Your comments please.

A: No person with an iota of knowledge will ever make a derogatory remark like that about our party or any of our party leaders. The UNP won independence for the country from Colonial rulers in the first place. All our party leaders worked for the security and territorial integrity of the country maintaining very good foreign relations with other countries in the world. How dare anybody say that UNP is not concerned about the low income groups?

The UNP introduced the free education long time ago and then started giving free books, uniforms to the students. Mahapola scholarship scheme was initiated by the UNP. Housing projects were introduced by the UNP to the low income groups, Janasaviya was aimed at alleviating poverty in the country. Garment factories were opened by Ranasinghe Premadasa to provide employment to low income families. Our party, under its different leaders had rendered a yeoman service to the poor masses in the country from its very inception and we are right now in the process of formulating new strategies to address the grievances of the people when we return to power in the near future.

Q: Do you think that your party can emerge victorious at the forthcoming Presidential election?

A: As I had told you earlier the Uva PC results proved that we are at the treshold of victory at any future election. See the number of vital areas where there are problems during the last few years - Education, health, Agricultural, transport and fisheries sectors are riddled with problems after problems. These protest campaigns demonstrate very clearly that people look forward for a UNP regime in the near future.

Q: Are you confident that your party could form a government soon?

A: Ranil-Sajith combination will be quite equivalent to JR - Premadasa strategy of 1977. All our stakeholders of the party from the grass roots member right up to the top brass have now developed absolute confidence that the victory of the UNP is imminent.