Minister Susil Premajayantha silences all critics:

The East: Seeing is believing!

The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which liberated the people of the East from the two decade-long sufferings under the LTTE terror, will record a significant victory at Provincial Council polls on May 10, Minister of Education and General Secretary of the UPFA Susil Premajayantha said.

In an interview with the ‘Sunday Observer’ Minister Premajayantha dismissing allegations levelled by the Opposition that the State resources are being abused by the government in the Eastern Provincial election campaign, said that the duty of all government Ministers and officers is to work for the government.

“We do not have to worry because people of the East know that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government brought peace and development to their much neglected province. So they will excerise their right on May 10 and the government is confident that we will win the polls”, Minister Premajayantha who is the campaign leader of the Batticaloa district said.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Q: Political war hots up in the East. How confident is the government that the UPFA will record a significant victory?

A: The government is confident that we will win the Eastern Provincial Council election because it is under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the troops liberated the entire Eastern Province last year. After the liberation the government has taken steps to develop the Province including all three districts. A massive development programme is taking place.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa government is proud to say that a lot of development work has been initiated by them after liberating the province from the grips of the LTTE. People of the Province feel the fresh air now. Their sufferings for more than 20 years under cruel terrorism is over.

They are given a chance to elect their own members to the PC and these people are well aware that they can develop their Province with the assistance of the central government.

The government knows that people of the East will vote for peace and development on May 10. The Mahinda Rajapaksa government will record a landmark victory.

Q: Are you satisfied with the development process taking place in the East ?

A: Yes, of course. When the Province was liberated an area of over 225 million square metres was mined by the LTTE. So far, except for a few areas, all other areas in the East have been de-mined by the government with the assistance of the NGOs.

There were over 59,000 families who were displaced due to the conflict and tsunami at the time we liberated the East. They were in camps. Over 49,000 families have been resettled now. People of the Eastern Province are aware about the assistance offered by the government to uplift their living standard.

Normally in other Provinces over 80 percent of the public administration is done at provincial council level. But these people lost that opportunity for the last two decades and their requirements were neglected completely. They know that an election is a good opportunity for them to take a decision to develop these much neglected areas.

Q: But the SLMC claims that the eastern development is a flop. What do you have to say ?

A: People of the Province know better than these political parties. They have seen the progress of these development projects. Within less than a year the government has taken many steps to develop the province which no other government could do.

Q: Resettlement of internally displaced people and providing them the basic facilities are still a problem. Do you think these issues are adequately addressed?

A: No. I do not say so. But if you compare the situation before and after liberating the Province there is a significant difference now.

If those who do not like to accept that vast development is taking place in the Eastern Province should go there and see how many new houses have been built, the sanitation facilities provided to these people and the other ongoing development projects.

Over 144 CTB buses are plying on these roads after liberating the province. All the depots are functioning well now. We are going ahead with development steadily and no one can deny that fact. But we have to do more.

Q: Is it true that the government is in a rush to develop the East to woo the people before May 10 ?

A: No. That is not because of the election. But any responsible government will take necessary steps to develop the province soon. If you go there you will see how backward is that province compared to other provinces in the country. It is the duty of a responsible government to develop the province speedily.

We cannot wait for years to develop the Province.

Q: What are the major issues identified in the East and what are the solutions that the government has offered to address them so far ?

A: Major issues at that time were de-mining, resettlement and providing basic infrastructure facilities. The government has already started the development projects under a very comprehensive plan covering the entire province comprising three districts.

Our target is to complete all these projects within the next three years. Then the east would be the fastest developing province in the country. We have short-term and long term plans to develop the East.

Q: Do you think there is a possibility for the UNP-SLMC Alliance to win the election?

A: No. I do not think that they will win the election. Why I say so is if we take the Batticaloa district and analyze the elections, except the last local government election, all other elections were held before liberating the province.

So, 80 percent of the land area and the population were under the LTTE at the last Presidential Election and the General Election. After liberating the Province the situation in the province has been completely changed.

At the last local government election held in January, the TMVP won eight MC areas and the UPFA won the Batticaloa Municipal Council. Now we have over 125 local members for the entire Batticaloa District covering all the divisions. We have people’s representatives at grass roots level to work for our campaign.

In Batticaloa we can win over 75 percent of the votes. In Trincomalee and Ampara we can definitely win. According to my assessment we will win all three districts and the any Alliance is not a problem for the UPFA.

The major setback for the SLMC is that they gave up their party symbol and now they are contesting under the UNP symbol. The other reason is people feel that it is the present government and the President who took steps to liberate people in the East. Now Hakeem can go there, the Opposition Leader can go there, and any political party member can go there because the East is liberated from the LTTE by the government. .

Q: The UNP is again accused of having a secret link with the LTTE to win the election. Are you aware of such a deal between them ?

A: I saw this through the media but I am personally not aware of any such deal.

But if you analyse the political decisions taken by the UNP and the SLMC prior to this election, it implies that there is a strong possibility of them having links with the LTTE terrorists to win the election.

Q: People were prevented from voting by the LTTE at the last Presidential election. Is there any possibility that the LTTE will do the same ?

A: No. The LTTE is not in a position to force people not to vote this time.

Except the last local government election, all other elections were held under tight security. People in the LTTE controlled areas had to come to the government controlled areas to cast their votes.

There are reports stating that a lot of intimidation took place on the day of the election. But they could not do so at the last local government election. Not a single incident was reported during the election campaign or the day of the election. If we can continue the present situation we can have a very peaceful election and I do not see any possibility of the LTTE trying to prevent people from voting.

Q: Despite the allegations by the Opposition political parties, the PAFERREL says that if the present environment prevailing in the East continues, there will be a free and fair election. What are the measures taken by the government to prevent rigging of votes ?

A: Thousands of security personnel, including the police, have been deployed to prevent such incidents. The Commissioner of Elections has taken all necessary steps to prevent sabotage of the election. Therefore the government thinks that there will be a strong possibility of having a free and fair election.

Q: The JVP accuses the government of using state resources to the maximum to win the election. What is your comment ?

A: To my knowledge, the government does not use any state property for the election campaign. We are not doing that. Normally that is the nature of the Opposition always to criticise whatever the actions of the government.

Q: But the Opposition, including the UNP, JVP and SLMC, claim that the government together with the TMVP, which is still armed, force people to vote at the election. How does the government face these allegations?

A: I challenged these political parties even a few weeks ago to show a single incident or a person carrying a weapon. I am 100 percent sure there is no possibility of the TMVP carrying arms.

Q: Do you deny that the TMVP force people to vote for them?

A: No they do not force people. They only do their normal election campaign like the UNP, JVP and SLMC.

Q: Is it true that the government has spent a large amount of money to provide facilities for the Ministers and other state officials who are assigned for the election campaign ?

A: No. We deny that allegation. For an example I have not spent a cent from the government. I utilised my own money. On the other hand the government Ministers should not be given any facilities on government account because they are here to serve the people.

Q: Is there any agreement with the Indian government to handover land in the East to India?

A: No. How can we hand over our land to India. The JVP knows nothing about this. They have been misled. Are they unaware that it was the UNP government in 2001 to 2004 which gave away 102 oil tanks to the Indian oil company. So, the JVP did not make such a puss at that time. Out of 102 oil tanks they utilise only one or two tanks and what is the purpose of keeping 100 tanks empty.

I think the JVP is referring to the Coal power project to be started as a collaboration of the CEB and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India.

Q: But how can you reject the allegations levelled by the JVP that the government has handed over more than 2,000 acres of land in Nilaveli and Sampur, 100 oil tanks in Trincomalee and 20,000 acres in Kantale and mineral sand deposits in Pulmuddai to India?

A: Do you think that the government is going to hand over those land areas that you mentioned to India. No. We have not discussed or even thought about such deals. I think the Sampur coal power project is a joint venture.

Q: Is there any attempt by India to make Pillaiyan the Chief Minister?

A: No. The government has not yet decided who is going to be the Chief Minister. It is still open. We have nominated 18 Muslim candidates, 15 Tamil candidates and 11 Sinhalese candidates.

So, then there will be more Tamil and Muslim candidates than Sinhalese members. We have considered the ethnic ratio in the Eastern Province. The community who are getting the highest number of members elected to the PC will be getting the post of Chief Minister.

Q: Is there any plan to absorb the TMVP cadres into the Police Force ?

A: No. The government has recruited some 200 Tamil youth to the Police. But have no intention to recruit the TMVP cadres to the Police.

Q: What action can the government take if Pillaiyan tries to become another Varatharaja Perumal to form a separate Tamil force ?

A: The then President J.R. Jayewardene took some decisions using the provisions in the Constitution to prevent it and likewise President Rajapaksa will take the same measures if Pillaiyan tries to overstep his limits.

Q: The government has reiterated its willingness to crush the LTTE and eliminate Prabhakaran before the end of 2008. How feasible this prediction today ?

A: I do not know much about military matters but what I can say is that the LTTE is now restricted or confined only to two districts and they cannot afford to hold those areas either.

The security forces are advancing without giving them breathing space. The government is confident that we can achieve the set targets within the given time frame.

Who is Susil Premajayantha

Getting through his G.C.E Ordinary Level examination in the 1970s, when the exams were tough and only few were lucky to do the Advanced Level, which was the gateway for the schoolboy to achieve his ambition of pursuing higher studies, was his bigegst achievement in life.

Being a good debater from his young days Susil who was a product of St. John’s College Nugegoda later passed out as a Bachelor of Law and also obtained a Masters in Public Administration.

Today, being the Minister who looks after the country’s education, Minister Susil Premajayantha says if he did not become a politician he would have practised as a Lawyer.

No mentor or a role model in his life, Minister Premajayantha is his own master since the age of 18. “I took my own decisions and I think my educational background put me on the right track throughout my life”, he says.

Not expecting a higher position than a Cabinet Minister, the only target in his life now is to complete his PhD. Doing a research on the topic ‘Co-relationship between corruption and accountability of the public sector’ Minister Premajayantha would soon be the only Minister in Sri Lankan politics who would have completed a thesis on corruption.

“I thought this topic will be very interesting because I strongly believe that there is a co-relationship between accountability and corruption.

I want to suggest how we can amend standing orders and how we should match the Public Accounts Committee and the COPE to minimise corruption and in efficiency in the public sector”, says the Minister who utilised his experience as the Chief Minister of the Western Province for five years, a member of the Public Accounts Committee and is still a member of the COPE to do the research on this topic.

Determined to do higher studies, the Minister of Education wants people to recognise him not as a politician but as an educated man.

And ... the biggest lesson that this Minister learnt from politics is not to allow his three children to take up politics. “Politics is not for an honest person and I will never encourage them to do politics”, he says

Ready to give up politics at any given moment Minister Premajayanth asays he does not expect anything from politics and wants to go back to his legal profession to make ‘a living’ from the day he quits politics.

“If people can recognise me as a professional or simply as a knowledgable person but not as a politician, that is enough for me”, that is the wish of the Minister of Education.

* The East was liberated under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

* Massive development projects are under-way in the East.

* People of the East are given an opportunity to elect their representatives.

* Of the 59,000 displaced families over 45,000 families have been resettled now.

* The government cannot wait for years to develop the Eastern Province.

* No alliance is a threat to the UPFA’s victory.

* Thousands of security personnel have been deployed to prevent election violations.

* India is interested in peace in Sri Lanka.

* If Pillaiyan tries to be another Varatharaja Perumal President Rajapaksa will take action under the provisions of the Constitution.

* The Mahinda Rajapaksa government will crush the LTTE within the set timeframe.

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