President willing to give a hearing to the people - Lakshman Senewiratne

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Productivity Promotion Minister Lakshman Senewiratne said though the Government has a two third majority in Parliament, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was good enough to take a step back and accept what private sector employees had to say.

In the case of Late President J.R. Jayewardene who had a five sixth majority in Parliament, he bulldozed himself and never took a step back.

The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the President could have easily passed this private sector pension scheme bill in Parliament with a two third majority, but he did not do that.

The Minister said as executive president with executive powers and having a two third majority in parliament, the President clearly said there was a shortcoming in the pension scheme.

The President agreed to withdraw the pension scheme and rectify the shortcomings. Therefore this is another perfect example given to the entire world on good governance in the part of the President as a people’s leader who has identified the grievances of the working class.

The Minister said at this juncture the UNP does not have any hope. There should be a vibrant Opposition in the country. But the situation within the UNP has gone from bad to worse today. At present UNPers are joining the Government enmasse.

Q: You had been a stalwart of the UNP for a number of years. After you crossed over to the Government how did your area people react?

A: Even before I thought about it, I summoned all my village Heads of the UNP. I summoned three people from each Grama Niladari division. I had two discussions with them soon after the election. At that time there was no intention of crossing over or anything. But they told me to look at what the UNP has done during the past 17 years.

The war on terrorism was over at that time. The UNP did not support the nationalist movement. But I am happy that I personally did that. I was the key speaker of the Opposition during the emergency debates. I always supported the three Armed Forces and the Police as I was well aware of the wonderful task they were doing.

We can also witness the massive development drive implemented by the Government throughout the country. Therefore they were the people who told me, why don’t you think of joining the Government. They said I can help them and also to develop the area by joining the Government. They categorically said they will not vote for the UNP again.

They were of the view that they can’t see any future for the UNP as the UNP has not identified the pulse of the people. Finally I decided to join the Government and extended my support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

If we take today’s context, the classic example is the elections held a few months ago, Areas like Rideemaliyadhdha was predominantly a UNP strong hold from the beginning. It was a winning area for the UNP at all times.

This time the UNP lost even that. Likewise most of the predominantly UNP areas like Wattala, Rideemaliyadhdha and several other areas were won by the Government. Because the people have realised whatever they say the UNP policies are not for the country.

The people have pointed this out. Being within the UNP, it is pointless, if I try to go upstream and help the people. Now I am very happy because I have been able to do lot of work for the benefit of the people in my area.

Q: Your words mage ballawath yanne ne are still fresh in the minds of the public. What really made you to leave the UNP?

A: I left some of the dogs behind there. I left those dogs there and I crossed over to the Government. You can see the change in the area. I managed to allocate millions of rupees for road construction and electricity.

In addition, so many new programs are coming up for the development of my area. What else do I want? I could not do this during the entire 17 year regime of the UNP. We were also in power from 2001 to 2004. But I could not do anything for the people in the area.

Q: How do you analyse the present dead log in the UNP pertaining to leadership? Is there any hope for the party?

A: At this juncture, I don’t think they have any hope. There should be a vibrant Opposition in the country. But the situation within the UNP has gone from bad to worse today. UNPers are joining the Government enmasse.

The UNP has not been able to appoint even organisers to some electorates. You can also see what is happening at the Parliamentary group meetings as well.

Everyday after the group meeting, if you listen to some of the UNP MPs they say “we were whacked by Ranil Wickremesinghe left, right and centre”. He will be doing this during the next so many years. What does the ordinary village folk gain from that? Anyway let them move forward in their own way and let us move forward in our own way.

Q: Will more prominent people from the UNP join the Government?

A: At this rate, yes. Because everybody would like to join and contribute towards the Government’s development process. If you don’t join the development process, at the end of the day you will be left behind. Actually nobody wants that happen to them.

Q: You will recall that the Katunayake Free Trade Zone was your former Guru J.R. Jayewardene’s brainchild. As an independent observer how do you look at the present crisis there?

A: Actually I don’t call it a crisis. You really have to study how it happened. Some of the employers or the management granted leave and requested employees to go on. They were totally misled.

The Government is also to blame. This private sector pension scheme is a very good move. There is no doubt about it. There are minor small shortcomings. These would have been addressed.

Having said that don’t forget one thing. This Government has a two third majority in Parliament. But with all that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was good enough to take a step back by saying “I accept what you say.”

As you mentioned my Grru J.R. had a five sixth majority in Parliament and he never took a step back. President Mahinda Rajapaksa could have passed this pension bill in Parliament with the two thirds majority he has. What can anybody do? An executive president with executive powers and a two third majority in Parliament clearly said there is a mistake in this pension scheme.

He stepped back and instructed to withdraw the pension scheme and rectify the shortcomings. This is another perfect example to the entire world on good governance on the part of the President as a people’s Leader who has identified the grievances of the working class. Being a former Labour Minister, the President knows the feelings of workers very well.

He wanted to enact this. He did it and also saw the shortcomings. In my opinion. Even though a few people protested , what we would have done was to address the Shortcomings and move forward. Listening to the people is the most important thing. The President is a Leader who always listens to the people.

Q: There is speculation that Police brutality is on the rise. Would you like to comment on this?

A: We have to look at it from two angles. In this instance, the President categorically said he had instructed the Police not to go to the Free Trade Zone. Despite these orders given by the President and the IGP, the Police had to give protection to some of the Ministers and Parliamentarians who went there to address Free Trade Zone workers. That is what happened.

Police personnel went into the Free Trade Zone without any weapons in their hands. Therefore we have to look at the other side of the story as well. We saw on television, a DIG’s face being smashed and some policemen bleeding.

The President has appointed Mahanama Thilakaratne a one-man Commission to look into this incident. We have to wait and see what the report is going to be. We heard some of these goons had tried to break the armoury of the Katunayake Police station. But they are not Free Trade Zone workers.

It was very clear that those who attacked DIGs and unarmed police personnel were not the workers of the Free Trade Zone. We know very well it was pre-planned by certain outside elements. What the JVP wanted was the life of an innocent worker. Unfortunately they got what they wanted.

Whatever said and done, we have to salute the IGP for resigning.

Q: The Government really wants to help private sector employees with the pension scheme as your father did in introducing ETF and gratuity. How can this be done.

A: There is a very small percentage of top managerial level people in this country. At the end of their service, they are entitled to a huge ETF and gratuity. These top class so-called managers are good money managers as well.

They know at the end of the day they can get a huge amount of money. Therefore they don’t like to get a pension. More than 65 to 70 percent of private sector employees after they get the ETF, EPF and gratuity, all their money is over within a span of three months.

Because they will have to spend that money to complete the construction of their houses or spend it to give their daughters in marriage or to buy a motorcycle. After working 30 to 40 years, they don’t have even a red cent to buy anything after three months.

We can’t blame their children because they are busy with their work in today’s context. They also have enormous problems with their own children. So they don’t have time to look after their parents and what parents have earned have already gone. If there is a pension this will not happen.

Q: Human rights has become the stalking horse for western democracies to bludgeon developing countries. How do you look at this?

A: How do I put it across. In Sinhalese there is a saying Appuhamita eka neethiyak. Ralahamita eka neethiyak. They have a different law for third world nations like Sri Lanka and another law for super power big nations.

This is what is happening in the world today, specially in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. In any kind of a war situation a certain percentage of civilians might get killed. But no responsible Government is doing that purposely. Certainly they wouldn’t do so.

When the war against terrorism was begin it was against terrorists. All former Governments in power and specially the present Government were very careful in its humanitarian battle to protect civilians which the present Government did most successfully.

Even before the killing of LTTE leader Prabhakaran, we saw in photographs, video clips and newspapers how innocent civilians were carried on the shoulders of our soldiers. But what did the LTTE do? They kept their own Tamils as a human shields and killed them.

These Western countries having a huge problem. This is the first time in world history, that one of the biggest and ruthless terrorist groups has been completely wiped out by a Government.

The Western world said this cannot be done and even when we were in the UNP thought it could not be done. But when we were in the UNP I and a few other MPs said terrorism must be wiped out.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa successfully fulfilled that task. We know a lot of world leaders came and told the President to stop this. The President categorically told them the war against terrorists will not be stopped.

The President did the right thing and he told it to the entire world. By doing so, some western countries are again coming back to the earlier conclusion of Appuhamita eka neethiyak. Ralahamita eka neethiyak.

Q: I suppose your forte is basically agriculture. How do you get about with productivity promotion?

A: It is a new subject. Even though it is a new subject, it’s a must in this country. Productivity enhancement is what we need in this country today.

If you take development work, we have to develop the human mind at the same time. Along with productivity, we have inculcate massive attitude change in this country. So that is my forte.

Q: You were a vociferous critic of the Emergency when you were in the UNP camp. Is there any justification in continuing the Emergency?

A: The Government is removing certain clauses of the Emergency regulations day by day. We have to understand these Emergency regulations cannot be withdrawn straight away. If we take the regime of President J.R. Jayawardene, did he withdraw the Emergency straight away?

He also removed Emergency regulations clause by clause. Ultimately everything was withdrawn. So it will take a little time to withdraw all the clauses of the Emergency regulations.

Certain sections you may have to be kept in for some times. The war against terrorists is over, still so many pro-LTTE elements are operating in and outside the country. So certain clauses have to be there to protect the sovereignty of the country.

Q: The public perception is that the cost of living has sky rocketed. Any comments?

A: The people say the cost of living has increased to a certain extent. If we go back to productivity levels of the history of this country, each household cultivated their day-to-day food requirements such as vegetables in their own home gardens.

Today most households have only beautiful plants and flower pots. Nearly 72 percent of the population in this country still live in villages and 91 percent of these people have more than one acre of land. Why can’t they cultivate some vegetables in their own lands?

On the directive of the President, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has started the Divi Neguma program. My argument is that the people should have done it from the very beginning as cultivation is in our blood. Earlier every household had many things in their own home gardens.

Today we don’t have any of those things. Talking about the cost of living is important. But we really can bring down the cost of living if the majority of our people have their own home gardens in their backyards.

Q: Mahiyangana is basically a peasantry area without adequate educational, health and other facilities. You have any plans to uplift them?

A: At the moment I am looking after the Viyaluwa electorate which is the adjoining electorate to Mahiyangana. But I am residing in Mahiyangana. I help to develop the Mahiyangana electorate as well. I have been able to improve the situation in the area. I am really glad that at present I am giving maximum service to the country instead of being a joker in the UNP.

Before I joined the Government a strong supporter told me we respect you, we love you and we would love to see you on TV everyday as you are our hero. But what have you done during the last 17 years? You were a joker and you also made us jokers. They said join the Government and do something for them and the area.

The UNP should be there. It is a very strong party. We should have a good Opposition in this country. Unfortunately the Opposition does not realise that.

Q: What are the issues in focus for the forthcoming Local Government Election? Is the Government assured of victory?

A: We have no problem at all. Everybody can see the results.The Government would achieve a landslide victory at the forthcoming Local Government polls. We should give a breathing period to the people through development which we are doing right now.

The Government is spending billions of rupees to develop infrastructure in the country. What else do the people expect other than that from the Government? Can they do it by electing the UNP?

I was a Minister of the former UNP Government. But what did they do. Absolutely nothing. That is why at Tuesday’s debate in Parliament, I asked a question from the Opposition. The UNP was talking about paying compensation to the Katunayake Free Trade Zone worker who was killed at that demonstration.

The UNP has no right to ask for compensation. Two UNP youths were killed in 2001 when the UNP engaged in a protest march against the then Chandrika Kumaratunga Government.

After three months the UNP came to power. Up to 2004, the UNP did not pay a red cent to the families of those two UNP supporters who got killed at that demonstration. Still I extend my thanks to Gamini Abeyratne who was the then Executive Director at the airport for offering a job to one of the brother’s of the youths who got killed.

That is how when the UNP was in power it looked after supporters. The UNP Government did not want to pay even a red cent as compensation on behalf of those two youths. Therefore the UNP has no moral right to ask compensation for this youth killed in tha the Katunayake Free Trade Zone incident.

The Government will definitely pay compensation to him. There is no doubt about that. But neither the UNP nor the JVP have a right to ask for compensation to be paid to the family of the victim.