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| Sunday, 20 June 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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SB promises UNP government next year
Q: The UNP is busy reorganising the party. You are instrumental in it. Why is the hurry? A: Yes. We are reorganising our party because we are preparing for a General Election next year before the Presidential Election. Therefore, we have divided different subjects among our members and brought structural changes to the party machinery. We have called upon intellectuals to prepare some proposals as well. We will also appoint a Committee to prepare a programme and agenda for us. We also call upon all people to present their ideas at this Committee. We are being decentralised with responsibilities. As a part of that programme we have created 20 posts in the subjects of Trade Union, Women, Private sector, Youth, Agriculture, Poverty Alleviation and Public sector. Q: People are fed up with elections. What is the hurry to go for another General Election in 2005? A: The last General Election was forced on the people. The UPFA is boasting that their victory is equivalent to a 2/3 victory, but it is incorrect. They got only 47 per cent votes with 53 per cent against. That means the UPFA has not got even a simple majority. They have only 106 MPs in the House but UNP got 110 during the previous election. In addition, the Jathika Hela Urumaya has nine members. The President should have called upon Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a Government, but she did not do so. However, we can not blame her because the UNP leader never made such a request. The UPFA formed a minority Government and tries underhand methods to increase its numbers by intimidating JHU, SLMC and CWC members. The present political crisis erupted due to thuggery used by UPFA members to form a Government. Because of the political uncertainty, the economy and the peace process is heading for a total collapse. Q: You said that though the opposition has the majority in Parliament, Ranil Wickremesinghe did not request the President to form a Government. Why is it? A: Because we did not have 113 members. The UNP was defeated in most of the Sinhala areas. Certain UNP strongholds voted for the JHU and about 375,000 of UNPers did not vote. Therefore, the UNP leader did not want to form a Government. Q: But isn't it true that though the Opposition boasts of a majority, it is split because Ranil Wickremesinghe finds it difficult to bring TNA and JHU members together to form a Government. A: No, clearly we don't have 113 members and we face a set back in the Sinhala areas. That is why we did not want to form a Government. As you said correctly, we find it difficult to bring the JHU and the TNA together. Even though we could have formed a Government it would have been difficult to run such a Government. Q: What were the reasons for the UNP defeat in the majority Sinhala areas? A: There were two reasons. When the economy was experiencing a minus growth Ranil came to power. He had two options. To correct the economy or run the economy as it is. He chose the first option and implemented strict financial regulations to correct the macro economic fundamentals. As a result the economy bounced back to a positive growth of 6.4 per cent. But, people voted him out from power as they did not receive immediate benefits though he asked them to wait for two years. Some people abstained from voting, but they did not support the JHU or the UPFA. Most of the middle class UNPers, about 250,000 voted for the JHU. The UNP lost its Sri Lankan identity and did not look after the supporters. Another reason is that the JVP developed a base. Those reasons contributed towards our defeat. Even at the 2001 the general election, the UNP would have been certainly defeated in many districts if the SLFP and the JVP had got together. Q: Don't you think the UNP leader and the party moved away from people? They did not care for public grievances. You, yourself blamed the Secretary Treasury and threatened to resign from the Ministry? A: Strict financial discipline such as scrapping funds for village development, not giving a single job, decreasing subsidies and turning a blind eye to public grievances contributed towards the defeat. Actually, Ranil did not have any options to lift the economy from its sorry position. He told the people that every one should sacrifice for two years. He took power when the international organizations refused to grant us even a loan. In order to build confidence among investors, donors and bring the economy on the right tract he had to correct the macro economic fundamentals. Q: Many accused your leader of being in a different world. He only thought of peace. Don't you think that his attitude towards the people and the way his advisors behaved were the reasons for the defeat? A: I don't think that he had moved away from people or his advisors moved him away from people. I don't think that advisors can change a person like Ranil Wickremesinghe. If he thinks of something, he does it even if everyone opposed it. I like that quality. Many leaders were unable to withstand the pressure from majority Sinhalese when searching for a settlement to the North and East problem in 1905, 1912, 1917, 1928, 1935, 1947, 1958, 1967. Even in 1976 Dudley Senanayake wanted to find a solution. J. R. Jayewardene brought the Indian forces, but Premadasa opposed it. All these leaders were disturbed. But Ranil understood the problem well. That is why the peace process was handled properly. He had not only peace in mind, but also tried to develop the economy. Q: Many UNPers believe that the UNP leadership should be changed for the future of the UNP. What do you think? A: Not at all. Q: Is there a second leadership in the party? A: Why Karu Jayasuriya. Thereafter, we are there. Q: Provincial Council Elections are around the corner. Do you think that your party can win? A: It's a normal phenomenon that a party defeated at the General Election will face defeat at other elections held soon after. That is the reality. Because many will abstain from voting. That is about 15 per cent. With the defeat at the General Election, candidates and supporters are fed up with the party. They will not come forward to support. Due to threats, workers openly don't work for us to save their jobs. So far, not a single MP was able to deliver his maiden speech. I am telling our supporters not to think of the defeat. We will try our best to win the Central Provincial Council. We have to correct our mistakes such as reorganise unions, build confidence in supporters, MPs and former Ministers who did not meet people should meet people. Q: What are the priorities in the Combined Opposition? A: The Combined Opposition is determined to ensure the democracy and law. Because now MPs are doubt as to whether they can go home safely after attending Parliamentary sessions. Q: If the UPFA fielded a common candidate at the next Presidential Election, what are the chances of the UNP which, even with the support of SLMC and the CWC got only 37 per cent of the votes. A: Ranil got 53 per cent votes at the last General Election. It's not a problem but before a Presidential Election, we will go for a General Election. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
S. B. Dissanayake, the newly appointed Secretary of the UNP's National
Organisation Committee in an interview with our staff reporter JAYANTHA
SRI NISSANKA, claims the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and senior
members never thought that they would be voted out of power by the people
and attributes the loss to the party not looking after its supporters.
Admitting that the UNP had lost its Sri Lankan identity, he says the party
is however planning to form a Government next year before the Presidential
Elections. Excerpts of the interview:
