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by Ananda Kannangara

Former Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University- turned- politician Prof. Gamini Lakshman Peiris in an interview with the Sunday Observer revealed that presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe's farsighted vision to bring rapid economic development to the country and go ahead with the peace process with international support could be regarded by the people to elect him as the next President.

Here are excerpts of the interview:

Question: The JVP is demanding Mr. Rajapakse to abolish the Presidential system if he is elected. Any comment?

Answer: The Presidential system is needed for a leader who has the ability to carry out massive development plans. For instance former presidents J. R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa carried out vast development projects due to the Presidential system.

J.R.J. accelerated the Mahaweli program, introduced the open economy and initiated the free trade zone system that created millions of employment opportunities. Meanwhile President Premadasa started the Janasaviya, developed rural villages through Gam Udawa, started housing constructions and also initiated the garment industry program due to the Presidential system.

Q: The JVP and the JHU have forwarded several demands to Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse. For example, asking him not to go ahead with the P-TOMS agreement.

A: Not only the UNP, but also the Government has already accepted the P-TOMS agreement before the international community. Even the Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse too had earlier given his consent to the P-TOMS. But I can't believe that Mr. Rajapakse is now turning a blind eye to this issue.

Q: Why do you want to go ahead with the P-TOMS?

A: We who are in the South must realise the pathetic situation of the tsunami victims in the North and East. Therefore at this juncture we must go ahead with the P-TOMS in order to give relief to these people. On the other hand the international community too has approved this.

Q: But after commencing the reconstruction work in the North and East if the LTTE violates the P-TOMS agreement ?

A: The international community is also involved in this. Therefore under such circumstances the Government must have a close watch on this.

Q: The peace talks with the LTTE are getting delayed. What's your comment on this?

A: Commencing peace talks as early as possible is very important. Therefore the relevant parties must take some appropriate action to resume talks.

Q: The Norwegian Government is directly involved in our peace process as a facilitator. But some political parties such as the JVP is of the view that the Government should drop Norwegian facilitators and wants some other country to get involved in this.

A: The Norwegian Government has been assisting our peace process as a facilitator on the invitation of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too agreed to that. Therefore it will not be a problem if we can get some kind of assistance from any other countries also to resolve our burning issue.

Q: The day-to-day rising cost of living in the country is unbearable. What are the steps your Government plan to bring down the cost of living?

A: During our period we introduced a committee to look into matters pertaining to the cost of living matters. This committee had to make suggestions to the Government on the proposals that helped to reduce the prices of essential commodity items. But it is very pathetic to say that the present Government has not appointed such committees nor plans to look into the cost of living, and as a result the prices of essential items are going up almost everyday.

Q: On what grounds do you think that Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe has experience to be elected as the president in the country ?

A: He has a vision. In the past he has held the portfolios of Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and also a number of other Ministerial portfolios in the fields of Education, Youth Affairs and Industries.

Among all, during his short tenure as the Prime Minister in the country, he signed the historic Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE to mark a fullstop to the unending war.

These are clear reasons for the people to elect him as the President of the country.

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