Tamils stand by President - WPC Minister Gammanpila

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Western Provincial Council Small Industries, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources and Minor Irrigation Minister Udaya Gammanpila said the TNA should explain to the country why they put forward one set of proposals to President and something else to the New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential candidate.

The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer outlined the Government has all the right to assume the fact that the NDF Presidential candidate has agreed to fulfil the promises put forward by the TNA unless and until a different explanation is given by the TNA.

Q: Why did the JHU decide to extend its support to the President?

A: The JHU remained independent in the political sphere in 2005 as we didn’t believe in the practices of two major political parties. But our leaders had a close link with then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for a very long period of time. We had realised that he was a dependable leader.

When the Presidential election was declared in 2005, we discussed with him the burning issues of the country.

That was to defeat LTTE terrorism and safeguard the unitary character of the State. They were more paramount than any other development. He totally agreed with us and his tone reflected that he is genuinely committed to this cause. Therefore, the Buddhist monks of the JHU decided to support him in 2005.

As he agreed, the President safeguarded the unitary character of the State, defeated the LTTE and took a series of measures to uplift the moral values of the society. The President introduced “Mathata Thitha Program” and anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco program and also banned all sexually oriented websites.

The President also had a close rapport with all religious leaders and understood the crucial role played by them in the uplift of society. Therefore, we are quite happy about what the President did during the past four years.

We don’t find any other person in this country at this moment out of the country’s 20 million population who can match him. Who else we can support?

Q: Do you think the New Democratic Front (NDF) led opposition has posed a serious threat to the President?

A: The Opposition confidently said that they are going to win the election. They did the same at the last Presidential election and the Eastern Provincial Council election as well. After facing a humiliating defeat at Uva Provincial Council election, the Opposition said they are going to win the Southern Provincial Council election.

The history records that whenever they said that they were going to win, they ended up being losers! Now the Opposition claims that they are going to win the Presidential Election. That itself reflects they are going to lose.

Q: Why does the JHU think the President should be re-elected?

A: During the last four years, President Rajapaksa waged a war against the most powerful and most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world which had planes, artillery guns, war tanks, submarines, ships and suicide bombers in their arsenal.

There is a ‘39 country coalition’ led by the USA which is struggling to defeat Taliban for the past eight years. But the Taliban had none of the facilities owned by the LTTE. But we were able to defeat the LTTE though the super powers were unable to defeat the less powerful Taliban.

When we had faced such an intense war, people expect only blood, tears and destruction!

President Rajapaksa while waging the war against the most powerful terrorist organisation didn’t ignore development. During the past four years we were able to secure six percent plus economic growth.

We have done this only once in the post independence history. In 2009, the entire world including the USA, Japan, EU, Russia and Brazil recorded a negative growth.

Singapore which always cited by the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as a model also recorded a negative economic growth in 2009.

But Sri Lanka while having a destructive war recorded 3.5 percent economic growth. In 2009 our economy was among the ten fastest growing economies in the world. The Sri Lankan Share Market has recorded the second highest growth in 2009.

It indicates that the country has already commenced its great forward leap to be a first world nation. In this backdrop Mahinda Rajapaksa has proved he is a different kind of Leader.

He has proved that he can achieve development while having a war. Now the war is over. The President has so much potential and he has proved it. So we can easily elect him to lead the country.

After defeating the LTTE, President Rajapaksa had to face the superpowers of the international community. The real battle was not in Kilinochchi. It was in Geneva and New York. All these superpowers were against us.

But the President could successfully defeat the attempts made by the superpowers to punish our country. We are the first Third World nation which defeated these superpowers with a two thirds majority at the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

The entire world warned us to stop the war and go for a negotiated settlement as the LTTE is the most powerful terrorist outfit in the world. But we said no and defeated the LTTE despite the obstacles created by the Western powers.

We could reaffirm our self confidence after 450 years through this victory. It was President Rajapaksa who brought this victory to the nation.

The President has also an action plan called “Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma” for the next six years. It has mentioned where we are now.

When the President assumed office, our per capita income was 1,000 dollars. The President while waging a war in fact doubled it. The President has said that he can double it again.

Sri Lanka’s per capita income would be 4,000 dollars at the end of the second term of the President. Then Sri Lanka will be a First World country. It is not a dream alone.

It is a dream which can be made a reality. I think the people don’t have any difficulty to choose who should be voted in.

Q: The Government is being accused of various bribery and corruption charges by the Opposition. Is there any truth in these allegations?

A: I don’t say this Government is hundred percent corruption free. If I say so I will be a liar. Since 1948 every single Government was corrupt to some extent. I admit the fact that there are some corruptions in this Government as well.

I have not earned even a single cent from politics. I have lost millions of rupees I earned before, due to my political involvement.

I have all the right to talk about corruption. My philosophy is that no single country in this world has eliminated corruption just by talking about it or bringing in laws.

They have eliminated corruption by making the country sensitive to corruption. As a solution to this issue, we have to expand the middle class. It can only be done through a sound economic growth.

That is why the President has said that his dream is to double our per capita income to 4000 dollars. With that there will be a corruption sensitive society.

Then politicians have to respond with the demand made by the voters without engaging in any corruption.

When the Opposition level these allegations on corruption,they should come up with documentary evidence. Otherwise, it would amount to mud slinging. At present the Government has levelled an allegation against Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka on an alleged procurement of arms to the Army via his son-in-law’s company.

This allegation has been brought forward with documentary evidence. Nobody can claim that we are slinging mud because everything has been established with documentary evidence.

The Opposition claims the Government wasted Rs. 500 million to establish an airport at Weerawila. According to all documentary evidence, the entire amount spent on this project was Rs. 49 million.

The Opposition also raises the issue of Hedging. We admit that this Hedging agreement has been reached by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation without following the proper procedure. As a result, the Government decided not to pay a single fee.

Therefore, the Government is defending its stand on this issue. The VAT fraud is the biggest fraud in South Asia which amounts to Rs. 3.5 billion. It took place from 2002 to early 2004 during the tenure of the UNP Government. It clearly shows all these allegations are baseless.

Q: At present the cost of living has reached an unbearable high and the people request to bring it down. Do you think this would become a decisive factor to influence the public view during the forthcoming Presidential Election?

A: The fluctuation of cost of living is a seasonal fact. November, December and January are rainy months. The prices of vegetables and fruits go up during these months.

This is the tail-end of Maha season and we will get the harvest in February. We should not forget we are in a recession hit world economy. In that backdrop, people are having a bad time.

During this period every year, prices are comparatively high. But the people are very intelligent and they know this is a seasonal issue.

They will not decide the fate of the next six years just because of an issue they face during the month of January. Therefore, the people will not consider high cost of living prevailing at this moment as a factor against the Government.

Q: During the 2005 Presidential Election, the President in his Mahinda Chinthana manifesto gave a lot of promises to the people. Can you be satisfied with the number of pledges fulfilled by the President so far? Is Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma, an equally far reaching document?

A: Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma has clearly stated how much we have achieved from the Mahinda Chinthana presented in 2005.

Political parties talk about their election manifestos during the election time. After the election, it becomes the bible of the Opposition.

They turn page by page and tell the country that the Government has not fulfilled the promises so far. But Mahinda Chinthana has become the bible of the Government, not the Opposition.

The Government Ministers always come to political debates in television channels with Mahinda Chinthana.

As the President has pledged in Mahinda Chinthana, he achieved an honourable peace. The President as pledged has completed lot of development work in relation to ports, roads, electricity and the uplift of schools and hospitals.

No Government in the entire world throughout the history has completed hundred percent of what they promised.

In 2008, the Government’s defence budget itself was Rs. 252 billion. But the Government provided a 50Kg bag of Urea fertiliser at Rs. 350 when its actual price was Rs. 3,000.

Still the Government provides a bag of Urea fertiliser at Rs. 350 sticking to the promise given by Mahinda Chinthanaya. The President may have not fulfilled minor promises here and there. But all the bigger promises have been fulfilled.

This is the first ever Government in the post independence history which has fulfilled its promises. That is why we go to television debates proudly with Mahinda Chinthana.

Q: Do you think the most of the people are with the Government? Are you confident of the President’s victory?

A: Very much. The Government was able to secure 5.3 million votes from the Provincial Council elections conducted recently. Except the north, elections were held in every province.

The UNP obtained 2.7 million votes while the JVP was able to secure only 234,442 votes. The UNP and the JVP have together got 2.9 million votes.

The difference is 2.4 million. Apart from the UNP and the JVP, they were able to obtain the support of TNA. The TNA has obtained only 38 percent of the votes polled at Jaffna Municipal Council Election and 41 percent votes from the Vavuniya Urban Council Election. Although there are 644,279 registered voters in Jaffna district, these registers have now become obsolete.

The Jaffna Municipal Council polls turn over was 22 percent. If we predict only 22 percent of the registered voters in Jaffna would vote at the Presidential Election, the total voting in Jaffna would be 142,949. Out of that, the TNA share is 38 percent. It means the Opposition Presidential candidate would get 54,715 votes in Jaffna.

Similarly there was a 52 percent voter turn out for the Vavuniya Urban Council. If we project the same for the entire district it would be 118,243 votes. The TNA, SLMC and the UNP got together and obtained 41 percent votes at the Vavuniya Urban Council.

If they have the same percentage for the entire district, the number of votes they can secure for their candidate would be 49,002. When we adopt these two figures, the Opposition Presidential candidate can obtain 103,716 votes from the northern province.

When we count 2.7 million plus nearly 200,000 JVP votes and another 100,000 votes from the TNA, it would amount to 3 million.

The President is still ahead with 1.3 million more votes than the NDF candidate. If we do the same projection, the UPFA also contested both Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council polls. Based on the votes obtained by the UPFA at those elections, President Rajapaksa will also get 101,730 votes.

Then there is no impact of TNA supporting the Opposition Presidential candidate.

Therefore, the TNA impact can be nullified with the support received by the President in the North. Then there is a gap of 1.4 million votes between President Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka.

We must acknowledge the fact that the former Army Commander has done something to end the war. But the President was the Commander in Chief.

Whatever victory achieved by former Army Commander during the war should be shared with his superior, President Rajapaksa.

The President had to give political leadership to the war. The public support towards the war was the most important factor. New York and New Delhi were more crucial than Jaffna and Kilinochchi.

Senior military commanders like late General Denzil Kobbekaduwa failed to defeat the LTTE due to inability of then political leadership to properly manage the Indian factor.

But President Rajapaksa did it very well. If there was a project for war, the lion’s share should go to the President.

I don’t comment on any allegation levelled against General Sarath Fonseka. But I firmly believe, before the Presidential Election, voters of this country deserve a clarification from him on these issues.

Q: The Government has disclosed an alleged agreement reached between the Opposition Presidential Candidate and the TNA. How does the Government maintain this allegation without having any documentary evidence?

A: The TNA is the political front of the LTTE. These TNA MPs are the ones who politically support the LTTE throughout the world. They are the ones who urged the international community to militarily intervene in Sri Lanka’s affairs.

They also spread the allegation that Sri Lankan Armed Forces committed war crimes and they should be punished for that. Until the last moment of the LTTE, the TNA was supporting the demand for a separate State under the LTTE.

Therefore, the TNA is completely different from politicians like Douglas Devananda, Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan or Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan who support the President. The TNA represents the remains of the LTTE!

It is very suspicious that the TNA pledged to support anybody without any conditions as the JVP claims. When the TNA pledged their support to NDF candidate, we can come to the conclusion that they must be supporting him expecting something in return. These TNA MPs also met the President and laid down certain conditions.

They were the amalgamation of the North and the East, self rule for the amalgamated province and immediate release of nearly 10,000 LTTE suspects.

Then the President said “I value your votes. I am the UPFA presidential candidate and every single vote has a value. The Presidency is very important for me.

But in my case, the country comes to me before the Presidency. So I don’t want to risk my country to get any gains for the presidency.”

Thereafter, the TNA met Sarath Fonseka and put forward these same conditions. Somebody may ask us, how do we know whether these are the same conditions or not? Then the TNA should explain to the country why they put forward these conditions to President Rajapaksa and something else to Sarath Fonseka.

After the Opposition candidate agreed to these conditions, 13 TNA MPs had a press conference on January 06 where they explained their demands to both candidates.

They said the President doesn’t understand their demands or showed a lack of interest in their grievances.

But Sarath Fonseka understood our grievances and we are satisfied with his position.

In order to satisfy the TNA, Sarath Fonseka may have promised to fulfil these conditions which were rejected by the President.

If this is not correct, the TNA should come out and say what they had decided to do, if both the candidates rejected their conditions and why they decided to support the candidate of their choice. This is illogical.

We need some explanation. Until then we have all the right to assume that Sarath Fonseka has agreed to fulfil these promises. TNA Parliamentarian K. Thurairetnasingam himself had told the ITN and a newspaper that they had reached a written agreement on these conditions.

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan may reject it on political grounds later on. When a person who witnessed the incident confirms it, why should we have doubts about it?

Q: But the Opposition has categorically denied these allegations levelled by the Government. They say these are baseless allegations by the Government to cover up its imminent defeat. Your comments?

A: They can make such allegations, if we just came out without having any basis. But we talk on some basis. The Opposition should not sling mud at us.

Rather they should challenge our basis and explain why the TNA decided to defend Sarath Fonseka. Then we can accept it.

Q: If the NDF Presidential candidate has reached any agreement with the TNA, will it have an adverse effect on the President’s vote base, especially in the Northern and Eastern provinces?

A: The maximum votes which can be secured by the TNA from the north is 100,000. The TNA agreement with Sarath Fonseka would bring a maximum of 100,000 votes for Sarath Fonseka. In the East the people had already voted and shown their preference.

TNA supporters voted for the UNP at the last Provincial Council Election held in the East. Therefore, the TNA don’t have anything more to gain in the East.

In the North, they can get an additional 100,000 votes. Our Nation is at risk. That is the point we always highlight. Soon after the defeat of the LTTE, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan made a public statement that they are ready to accept a political solution within a unitary Sri Lanka.

After the defeat of the LTTE, they realised they have to live with the realities of the world. They can’t now persist in what they were demanding. That was the decision maintained by the TNA till December 2009.

Everything was subjected to change after the initial press conference held by Sarath Fonseka. He openly said at that press conference he was willing to go beyond the 13th Amendment for the devolution of power.

He had also reconfirmed his position in an interview given to an Indian magazine, “Outlook.” Fonseka has revived the separatist elements by giving unnecessary promises. That is what we are worried. The bifurcation of our motherland is our biggest worry.

Q: How do you assess the support extended to the President by the people in the North and the East. Do you think most of them are with the President?

A: We all could witness the support expressed by the grassroots level, people in the North when the President toured Jaffna recently. The reflection on the faces of those people indicated who is going to win in the North.

These people have suffered for 30 years due to terrorism. Now they want to move from darkness to light.

But with LTTE elements like the TNA, the Opposition Presidential candidate is trying to push them back to darkness.

I don’t think anybody wants to commit suicide as they have witnesses enough suicidal missions in the past. Therefore, they don’t want to commit political suicide again.