JHU ‘ totally disatisfied with anti- corruption campaign - Champika

by Manjula Fernando

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka explains how the JHU contributed to change the course of successive governments and why it should be considered a leading political force in the country, in an interview with the Sunday Observer, on the eve of the JHU’s 13th annual convention.

The excerpts:

Q: The JHU seems to have lost its identity within the United National Front. The JVP faced a similar crisis when they fell in line with the Common Candidate but have managed to regain their status within Parliament, but not the JHU. What have you to say?

A: That is not a correct presumption. During the last four decades it was the JHU which set the country’s political course, when all others had doubts, it was the JHU which thought the LTTE should and can be militarily defeated.

In 2005, even Mahinda Rajapaksa proposed direct negotiations with the terrorist leaders. After winning the election, they held talks in Geneva. All the leaders before him thought the LTTE could not be defeated militarily. They proposed various political solutions.

We were of the opinion the LTTE could not be tamed or transformed into embracing mainstream politics because of their fascist Neo-Nazi ideologies, and the only solution is through military means.

The next important factor is the stability of the country. We entered into agreements with the SLFP in 2012 and the UNP in 2015 to preserve the unitary character of the country. We will ensure that the unitary character of the country will be preserved in the proposed new Constitution.

This was in the election manifestos of both candidates in 2015. Parties such as the JVP could not achieve it. That was our second revolution.

The third revolution is social justice, to democratize the country further. We campaigned for the anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol Bill. There was another campaign against harmful pesticides and weedicides, and we were at the forefront in the campaign against corruption. Walking the talk, I set examples at the Power and Energy Ministry and later the Environment Ministry. We showed ow to turn loss making state entities into financially viable entities.

Q: In other words, you say that the JHU was instrumental in leading the governments on the correct course ?

A: In 2010 no one believed that the CEB can be turned into a profit making enterprise. We had to face a lot of mudslinging and it is still happening.

Most people criticized the Executive Presidency and it was our proposal to prune the excessive powers. We did not support the total abolition of the executive presidency. If we abolished the executive presidency, what would have happened to Parliament today. The Executive Presidency brought in much needed stability to the country which in turn helped defeat terrorism.

We accept that some extreme powers vested with the executive should be pruned but it should not be abolished without having proper electoral reforms.

Q: But, under the new Constitution the Executive Presidency will be done away with?

A: Nothing of the sort will happen, the executive powers have been pruned. The President cannot appoint persons at his will to the Supreme Court or the Appeal Court, or independent commissions, etc.

Most importantly, the President is now answerable to the Judiciary, Parliament cannot be dissolved at his will. The abolition of executive presidency has not been proposed at the Constitutional Reforms committee. So far there are no concrete proposals to that effect.

Some are trying to drag this government into holding a referendum, it will be the ‘Brexit’ of this government and will cause its downfall. We will not allow it to happen.

Q: Are you against the merger of the North and the East also ?

A: Definitely. It is a false idea that these areas were together historically. These provinces were demarcated by the British colonials, to liquidate the Sinhalaya kingdoms that were fighting them.

Their policy was divide and rule, so they gave privilege status to Tamil elites, they did that in Scotland as well as in India. They promoted Muslim elites to handle Hindu nationalists. They promoted even promoted Wahhabism at one point, they are reaping the repercussions of that in their own land today.

Q: Is the JHU’s view shared by the other parties in the Constitution Assembly?

A: We are taking part in the Steering Committee deliberations, we are not alone. We will express our views at the right moment before things are finalized.

Q: Will the JHU contest the upcoming election alone or under the UNF banner ?

A: We have not decided yet. At present we are with the UNF government.

The JHU was the third political force in the country.

Q: But lately we saw the party assuming a back seat after January 2015?

A: We are the first political force, and will be the decisive force setting the next agenda of the country. We proposed that the LTTE should be dealt with military might, and it was achieved. That was the top agenda of the government from 2005 to 2009. We proposed that the unitary character of the country should be preserved, it was the top agenda of the government from 2005 to 2010 and again in 2015 presidential election.

We proposed the pruning down of presidential powers and it was fulfilled. We have now proposed a knowledge based economy as a new strategy towards a prosperous country.

Q: The UN Secretary General was recently in the country and in an off the cuff remark he compared Sri Lanka with Rwanda and Srebrenica, two countries where the world community accepted that genocide took place. Your comments ?

A: Later on, the UN tried to explain things. We are not in a position to accept Ban Ki Moon’s comments. The war in Sri Lanka was nothing like what happened in Rwanda. If so, how can 33% of Tamil people live in Colombo? It can’t be compared to Srebrenica either. After Slobodan Milosevic died, he has been absolved from all the charges against him in the Srebrenica massacre. All those charges were framed to invade Yugoslavia. It is a fact now.

Q: How do you view the role of the international community over the war crimes allegations and accountability issues in Sri Lanka?

A: Anyone is free to have their own opinion, but as a sovereign country, Sri Lanka’s judicial system is capable of handling these issues. The West is talking about disappearances, in the North and the East. When the Udalagama Commission was formed they found that most of the allegations over disappearances were against the LTTE, due to abductions. And also during the 1989 JVP insurgency some 60,000 people disappeared. We don’t call it an ethnic cleansing against the Sinhalese.

Q: There is a concern that the OMP will probe only the cases during the last phase of the LTTE war. What is your view ?

A: The OMP should be viewed objectively. The LTTE was a terrorist entity, and cannot be given equal status with a democratic government. We assure we will not allow anyone to hide the crimes committed by the LTTE in this process.

Q: The JHU was in the forefront of the campaign calling for action against corruption by leaders of the former regime. After nearly three years, there has been no concrete action against anyone. MP Wimal Weerawansa claimed the government was twisting their arm to gain support, if they resist, their relatives will be dragged before courts over cooked up charges. Your comments?

A: We are totally dissatisfied with the way the government handles these cases.

Wimal Weerawansa’s passport case is pending for one year. Officials have asked another year to probe the case. All the evidence is available.

He should be behind bars today. It is a clear cut example how political influence is salvaging the corrupt and unpatriotic politicians.

Recently a bribery case was filed against (former Defence Secretary) Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the Avant Garde issue, but actually the case should have been filed under the Penal Code for illegal possession of weapons.

The leaders of the government should realise that those who voted for them are completely dissatisfied and disillusioned over their conduct. One day, the individuals who orchestrate these things with the idea of using them as political tools, will pay the price.

[JHU Convention]

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) will hold its 13th Convention, under the theme ‘A country where all will be winners’ (Savoma Dinana Maha Ratak) on September 24 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

We are the only party which holds annual conventions annually, so far we have held 13 conventions. For a party of our scale we have achieved a lot and this convention will be a vision into the future.

Our vision is to have a just society with equal opportunities for all without discrimination. JHU will be a new front for all those who believe in patriotism, social justice and knowledge based economy.

We invite professionals, all politically affiliated institutions and other agencies who aspire for a just society to join us. JHU is aspiring to become an umbrella for all those who were fighting against nepotism, corruption and despotism during the Rajapaksa regime and also demanded social justice, including environmental justice. All the parties within the government and individuals organisations who backed the rainbow revolution will be invited. Some may have different ideologies but they too will be invited to join us to set the future course for the National Unity government.

Vested interests castigated us as an extremist nationalist party. But we showed them by action that we are not. Who is Theresa May, she has the same ideology as the JHU, so has the upcoming leader in France Marie Le Pen, and even Donald Trump.

JHU is not in isolation. We have no hatred against Muslims or Tamils. We invite the Tamils and the Muslims who believe in patriotism, social justice and economic prosperity to join us.

The General Secretaries of the UPFA and the UNP have been invited to the 13th convention along with representatives from the coalition parties in the government.