Buddhadasa on WeerawansA:
He’s a callous politician
by Jaliya Wijeyekoon
The protracted political conflict between Kaduwela Municipal Mayor,
G.H. Buddhadasa, and National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader and Former
Housing and Common Amenities Minister, Wimal Weerawansa, which has been
simmering for several years has now reached explosive proportions, with
both of them now entering a new round of verbal warfare. The conflict
has its genesis in the 2011 Local Government Elections, where Wimal
Weerawansa fielded a mayoral
candidate of his choice from his party to contest against Buddhadasa,
the incumbent mayor
Minister Weerawansa left no stone unturned in his quest to secure
victory for his candidate. Buddhadasa, more experienced in area politics
countered this with an aggressive campaign of his own and secured
victory topping the preferential vote list.
Sunday Observer spoke to Mayor Buddhadasa about the conflict, the war
of words and the allegations he has made against former Minister
Weerawansa.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: You have been extremely critical over the activities of former
Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who had done some service to the Kaduwela
electorate during the past few years. What is the reason for the
accusations? Is it personal or political?
A: I have nothing personal against him. But I knew him as a callous
politician from the 2011 Local Government Polls where he fielded a
candidate to defeat me. He resorted to all sorts of malpractices at the
election. He blatantly violated all election laws and created divisions
among our own party supporters.
Q: Didn't you lodge any complaints with the higher echelons of your
party against him or his activites?
A: I even reported to the President a number of times. But the
President never heeded to my complaints.
Q: You had held a number of protest campaigns and conducted some
press conferences to expose the malpractices of Weerawansa. Recently you
lodged a complaint with the CID over the Diplomatic passport issue of
Mrs. Weerawansa. What are the latest developments?
A: The Police have been completely bias during last number of years.
They never acted against any of my complaints.
Weerawansa transferred three OICs, who were his cronies, to all three
Police stations in the Kaduwela electorate, and played havoc in the area
during all elections. No justice was meted out on those who did not
support Weerawansa at election times. My
repeated requests to the higher authorities fell on deaf ear.
Law and order and justice and fair play were not prevalent in law
making institutions during the latter period of the Rajapaksa regime,
especially in our area where Weerawansa singlehandedly handled all
institutions. I was the only politician who openly challenged him from
the beginning.
Q: Weerawansa alleges you never co-operated with him in development
activities in the areas?
A: What is the development work he has done in the Kaduwela
electorate?
Absolutely nothing. Kaduwela residents know the quantum of work I
have done for the area during my last tenure and that was why they
gladly elected me again.
Not only that, I have managed to upgrade this local body to a
Municipal level due to my sheer commitment and hard work and our Council
was adjudged the best in theWestern Province for three consecutive
years. Weerawansa had not given a red cent from his decentralised
budget to any of my activity in the Kaduwela MC area.
Q: You had alleged that he was involved in mass scale corruption and
malpractices. Have you got documentary evidence to prove your
allegations?
A: You are asking a silly question. The whole country knows the level
of
financial strength Weerawansa had five years ago and his present
position after becoming a minister? How did he amass so much of wealth
within such a short period? He is not a professional, neither is he a
businessman.
He is only a downright garrulous talker. How can he build castles?
I expect the authorities to conduct credible investigations into all
my complaints against him and bring him to book. I have great faith in
Maithripala Sirisena's administration and hope justice would be meted
out on everybody irrespective of their positions.
Q: In addition to the allegations against him on misdeeds and
malpractices, what have you got to say about Weerawansa's attempt to
bring in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial
candidate at the forthcoming elections?
A: Absolute nonsense? Weerawansa and the crowd have no vote base at
all for their outdated parties. That is why they seek refuge under the
umbrella of Mahinda Rajapaksa. I don't think Mahinda Rajapaksa will ruin
his political retirement and ruin the SLFP too by re-entering politics
with this bunch of political destitutes.
Q: You mean to say that you are not going to support Mahinda
Rajapaksa in the event of his re entry into politics?
A: I am a committed SLFP supporter. Mahinda Rajapaksa has handed over
the presidency of the Party to Maithripala Sirisena amidst all SLFP
office bearers including his brother, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa. Now our
party leader is none other than Maithripala Sirisena and our collective
allegiance is to him and not to anybody else.
Let Mahinda remain an advisor to the party. If Mahinda Rajapaksa has
a fraction of an iota of love for the party he will not be inveigled
into this political trap and end up as a political discard.
Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa was not available to respond to
Mayor Buddhadasa. |