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| Sunday, 5 September 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A national agenda, need of the hour
Question: There is a public perception that the UNP's attitude towards the government will change and the UNP will support the government's development programmes and efforts to restart the peace process. What do you have to say about this? Answer: I think the need of the hour is solving the country's problems. As a responsible opposition party and a leading party, the UNP will be supporting a national agenda for the country. The statement impact should come from the party leader, rather than me. But as a member of the UNP Parliamentary Group and the Working Committee, I want to highlight it. Action should be taken jointly by all the parties for a national agenda. Such a thing will override individual party agendas. Q: How would you define a `so-called national agenda'? A: The national agenda should be identified in terms of the country's priorities. We have a country that has gone through a lot of hardships. We have to accept that we are not a prosperous country, developing, united or working towards futuristic development proposals. We are a country that has been going down all the time in terms of security standards and economy. Therefore we can easily identify the priorities. To make the country prosperous and peaceful, there must be a national agenda to tackle the ethnic problem. The country also needs a democratic agenda including constitutional reforms, strengthening of the democratic machinery, and the process and passage of the role of Parliament. Thirdly economic agenda. In terms of Sri Lanka becoming an economically viable country, all parties should come together to meet the requirements. Next is the social agenda. Over 50 per cent of the population live below the poverty line. The social security net must be strengthened, expanded and made for the majority of the masses to become productive units of the country. Once you have a social net you also have the development programs for the masses. And once they come out of the economic hardships they can contribute to economic growth. This can only be worked out by uniting all political forces together and identifying the need. The country has entered the 21st century, but not gone forward irrespective of whatever political party that came into power, during the last two and half decades. The reason for this is we don't have a national agenda. Q: Four months have passed since the general elections at which the UNP was defeated by the UPFA. How do you analyse the Party's defeat? A: The blame for the defeat at the elections depends on a lot of issues. If you take the result of the election in 2001, obviously when the PA and the JVP contested independently, the UNP was able to win. But in 2004 when the PA and the JVP joined forces the votes polled by them in majority of districts were more than what the UNP could poll. Within 24 months, a government can't deliver what they could have delivered within six years. The UNP unfortunately got caught in this. The second reason is that UNP's efforts to shift the voter response in favour of the UNP didn't work out because the party went on long term and macro management projects to rewind the economy. The people's expectations from the UNP were immediate relief in major areas. The UNP had a good track record in generating employment and creating a good economic conditions from 1977 onwards. The same was expected by the people in 2001, but we failed there. The rural sector, the main live wire of an agricultural economy was totally neglected. Even in my area, Nikeweratiya, the UNP did not do sufficient on water, irrigation, agrarian services, infrastructure facilitation and transport. We did not have the right focus. Q: There are rumours about a possible change of the UNP leadership. What was the reason behind this and who are the personalities in the party who are eying the post? A: Principally, I do not go by rumours. However, I would say people can decide on the leadership. Changing a leadership is a general part of the political process. Otherwise, anyone remaining as the leader in the absence of public aspirations is of no use. In my case, I do not forget that politics is always the art of popularity. Q: Several allegations and accusations have been levelled against UNP MPs, Provincial Councillors and PS Members. How do you foresee the effect of those allegations at future elections? A: Allegations against politicians, cannot be substantiated. It has become a trend to sling mud at individuals who are in politics. So I think the allegations must be made with responsibility. Then it has a bearing. And they must be seriously persued. Then we can come to correct conclusions so that people can know the truth to judge their representatives. Q: As a Cabinet Minister of the former government, what effort did you make to change the course taken by Ranil Wickremesinghe? A: Ministers of a government have to abide by a policy framework under which the government is working. They have to handle the subjects which have been assigned to them. Anyhow, the pro-active government in terms of the economy and peace process suddenly fell into a reactive footing due to elections being called within 24 months. It is unfair to assess the government's performances from the traditional point of view between success and failure. Q: Being a representative of a rural area like Nikaweratiya, how do you perceive the success of projects like `renovation of 10,000 tanks? A: I congratulate the PA-JVP administration for embarking on such a project. It is a project much needed for the country. Ten thousand is not a big number in terms of rural tanks because most of them are minor irrigation projects. This is a good project started by the Alliance government and we will wait to see the success of it. However, I wish the project every success. Q: How do you analyse the Alliance government's progress within the last four months? A:The government had passed only 120 days and it is a short period to pass any judgment on the performance of a government. They are also faced with external developments like the unprecedented fuel price hike worldwide. Oil is now 50 dollars a barrel and that is something unexpected. Any government would have had to face these situations. The government has a responsibility to have a serious economic program and to strengthen it. However, the government will have to get the correct energy and foreign investment policy papers. And I also hope that the government will focus its attention on these much needed schedules in their budget proposals. Q: The government is getting ready to present its budget on November 10. As the main Opposition what is your stance? A: We expect the government to fulfil promises made during the elections. We also expect the government to bring necessary reforms to attract foreign investments to carry out the infrastructure development. The challenge is enormous for the government to submit and substantiate what they have been saying and what they have been preaching against the UNP statistics. The UNP will be taking appropriate steps after the budget is presented. Q: What is your personal view about the responsibility and obligations of Parliament Members? A: People have exercised their franchise by electing 225 MPs. We should always be responsible to see why these people elected us and what they expect from us. This involves our being mindful of a national agenda for the country. MPs should always perform and deliver their responsibilities towards the society and they can't detach from it. Q: What is your comment on ISGA? A: I think all the parties should get together and discuss the basis on which interim governance should be recognised. This is not an issue to be decided in isolation. The need and the opportunity are there to get a larger view point to sustain a peaceful Sri Lanka. That should be the objective on which ISGA proposals are approved. Q: Anything special you have to add... A: Well. Thanks for the opportunity. Though we have celebrated over 50 years of independence, people have not enjoyed the best economic dividends of a sovereign state. Our economy has got sharp without expanding. Our resources have been neglected or mismanaged without the country being developed. People's lives have been effected by wars, insurrections and lack of proper security and discipline. Law and order conditions have broken down and people are shot at daylight inside homes and even court houses. No effort is being made to address the problems of the young generation. As a politician I believe, time has come for us to look at politics seriously. This seriousness should lie in the hands of each and every parliamentarian. Party politics should be supportive of a national agenda rather than selfish party agendas. The aspirations and sovereignty of the people should be respected, otherwise we are cheating their franchise. We are bound to serve them. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Former Industries Minister and Kurunegala District MP Rohitha
Bogollagama, in a wide ranging interview with Deepal Warnakulasuriya talks
about party politics, the need for a national agenda, the UPFA's progress,
10,000 tanks project and urges politicians to forget party agendas and
work together for the common good of the country.
