Alliance CM aspirants ready for a cakewalk!

The day of the big battle is just round the corner. Who will win - the people will decide. Candidates are confident and people are waiting for their chance. Let the country be governed by democracy.

Berty Premalal Dissanayake - North Central Province Chief Ministerial Candidate, UPFA	Mahipala Herath - Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Ministerial Candidate, UPFA

1) What makes you confident about your victory?

Berty Premalal: Definitely we are winning. We were sure of that long before the UNP nominated their candidates. We know that people are with us. It is hard to see anyone supporting the UNP.

The basic fact is I have not lied to the people and I have not fooled them in all my political life. People have witnessed the efforts we have put into develop the province.

Mahipala Herath: Great confidence. We have played as a team even at earlier times. We have shown great achievements in the Provincial Council as well. And we will continue to do so even in the future. And I strongly believe we can go forward as a team.

2) What are the crucial problems people of your Province are faced with?

Berty Premalal: The agriculture sector needs a lot of support. For example, sustainable water supply for their crops, fertilizer subsidies and introducing alternative crops. The dairy industry has lot of potentials to grow.

Farmers need to be educated on these subjects. Already the education sector has shown remarkable results yet it can be brought on to a higher platform. And of course the securing our people from terrorism. I confidently say it?s fully assured in the trusted hands of our security personnel.

Mahipala Herath: The main problem as I see in the Province is scarcity of land for the people to settle down, main reason being that entrepreneurs of the estate sector have taken many of these traditional lands of the people.

These people had owned them for generations. And I am aware of people are having a time without owning a piece of land to call it their own. It was one of the reasons why the government took the decision to give away land to low income families of the Sabaragamuwa province, with - ?Ranbima? deeds. My fullest cooperation to this. And we can give these people a land of their own under the program in expanding villages.

3) What is your pledge to your people?

Berty Premalal: Achieve a sustainable development. The North Central Province needs development along with an economical uplift. I will be taking all the possible steps to strengthen the people more and more. We can?t control the oil prices or the prices of commodities. Sometimes it can be beyond our reach.

Mahipala Herath: I promise the people an honest and fine governance. During that period I will give timely decisions bringing about a sustainable development to people. I am quite confident that I will get the full support of the masses.

4) What makes you confident that people will rally around your party?

Berty Premalal: Definitely people will rally around us. The development programs will not be hindered when the Provincial Council and the Government focus towards the same direction. It is one of the reasons for the people to be with us.

Mahipala Herath: The correct leadership we have. People gratefully welcome the farsighted vision and strategies of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. People are pleased with the progress. What ever the comments we are getting we very well know that we are in the correct path, favourable for the people.

5) How do you see the challenge facing a tough competitor?

Berty Premalal: Really speaking I have no challenger. The person may be a highly capable former senior Army officer but definitely not suitable for the CM post. He has no family background in the North Central Province.

So where are his people? It is the Chief Minister?s duty to assure safety and security to people. For that he should be at least be able to simply walk into a camp and meet the security personnel, where as the person concerned is not authorized. So how can he carry on with his duties?

Mahipala Herath: What challenge? There is no challenge at all. Several veteran politicians of the UNP never dared to stand against me because they knew the challenge will be formidable. When a person without a slightest knowledge of the responsibility of the CM position comes forward and so where is the challenge for me?

6) How do you intend to reawaken your area and your people?

Berty Premalal: The agriculture sector needs lot of support, such as sustainable water supply for their crops, fertilizer subsidies. We need to repair and restore the existing irrigation tanks and canals.

In addition, we need to introduce alternative crops to the farmers. The dairy industry has lot of potentials to grow. Farmers need to be educated on these subjects. And I hope to bring up the dairy sector by educating and strengthening the dairy farmer. I hope to set up stalls selling milk and dairy products in every town.

The farmers don't know how to obtain the maximum yield from the milch cows they own. They need to be educated and we need a change in the thinking pattern as well. And of course introducing alternative crops to the farmers. Cultivating the same crop over a period of time is not favourable on a long term basis.

We succeeded in introducing corn cultivation and during six years it was extended for over 60,000 acres. There was a 50% - 60% development in the education sector during my time. The quality of a school depends on its resources. So we need to provide more and more facilities and resources to schools so they will have no difference from the other sophisticated schools.

Mahipala Herath: These areas are with lots of economical potential to grow. Investors should pay their attention to these areas as well. There are a lots of potential to widen the capacity of the tourism industry.

Especially with the upgrading the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala is expected to receive, we can boost the industry to a greater extent. In addition an out door zoological garden is to be built by the Government. It will definitely create job opportunities for the youth in the area.

It could be a very good income generation path of wide variety. On the other hand, developing the cultivation of minor export crops and tea, rubber, coconut cultivations are highly beneficial economically. These people only need a good encouragement. They will perform miracles if proper guidance is given.

I have seen it in the past, hence I can guarantee successful results. In order to bring in the business community to invest in these trades, we plan to have discussions with the President and as well as the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Board.

And the development of infrastructure facilities should take place, i.e. this would include mainly repairs and reconstruction of the road network as well as upgrading water supply, electricity power supply and the drainage systems.