Colombo Municipal Council:

Judge me on my past record - Muzammil

By Jaliya WIJEKOON

The last of the Local Government elections in 2011 will be held on October 8 and all major parties are actively involved in their campaigns to capture power in the 23 remaining local bodies.

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is the cynosure of all eyes as it is the topmost local body in the island and reflects the political atmosphere, stability of the ruling party and the socio-economic standard of the nation irrespective of any differences.

The CMC Mayoralty is a highly respected position which wields a vast quantum of powers in addition to the prestige it entails as the first citizen or the father of the capital of the country. The CMC is also regarded as the breeding ground of national politicians. It should also be stated that three of the country's past national leaders namely S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, J.R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa started their political careers as ward members of the CMC.

There had been 20 mayors in CMC since its inception and the forthcoming election will be for 21st mayor of CMC.

The Council had been under UNP rule right along except for a short period in the mid-fifties when Dr. N.M. Perera was elected Mayor with the support of some UNP members. Past CMC Mayors have left indelible impressions in the annals of CMC history.

Six registered political parties and independent groups are in the fray for the CMC election and the two main parties - the UPFA and UNP - have already launched their propaganda campaigns to garner the support of CMC voters. All main parties have nominated their Mayoral candidates and activated their propaganda mechanism collectively with group members and individually as Mayoral aspirants.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the Mayoral candidate of the UNP A.J.M. Muzammil, to ascertain his party's position in the CMC and how he intends conducting the election campaign to secure victory for the party and for himself. Here are excerpts of the interview:

Q: Amidst stiff competition from a number of contenders, how did you secure the Mayoral candidature in the UNP?

A: Our party had appointed a 11-member nomination board comprising Party Leader, both Deputy Leaders, General Secretary, Chairman, National Organiser, Treasurer and five others.

All applicants were interviewed at the party headquarters and 11-members of the nomination board unanimously decided to field me as the Mayoral candidate for the CMC as they felt that I would be the most suitable candidate who could secure a convincing victory for the party.

Q: Now that you have been appointed as the Mayoral candidate for the CMC, what is your main strategy in spearheading the election campaign?

A: I have already formulated my election campaign and my main strategy is to hold over 290 pocket meetings in selected venues to educate the ratepayers of the CMC about the present deplorable position of the CMC in respect of administration, financial management, plan implementation, provision of common amenities and all other services in which the present administration had failed miserably during the past four years.

We will also make them aware of our comprehensive future plan of work for a clean, colourful, efficient and people-friendly CMC administration.

In addition to the above, we will conduct public meetings where all our party leaders will address the CMC ratepayers to further strengthen my election campaign. Despite my busy schedule, I hope to conduct house-to-house visits in the CMC area and canvass votes whenever time permits.

Q: UPFA Mayoral candidate Milinda Moragoda has launched an aggressive election campaign with the blessings of the Government. He has already published his election manifesto and appealed to the voters. We see him and hear him in the media very often with his constructive program of work. Don't you think that it will be difficult for you to outdo them at the election?

A: To my knowledge I have not violated the election laws by unduly patronising the media both print and electronic, projecting myself as a clean politician. You must judge me by my past record. People in Colombo know me better.

Q: It is the general belief that the UNP is in disarray with internal problems, leadership issues and a host of other problems in the party. In the scenario, do you think people will vote the UNP to power?

A: When a major party remains in the Opposition for a long time, hiccups of this nature automatically occur. I dont have to give examples. History has proved it. People have not forgotten the UNP.

All my leaders have unanimously approved my candidature and everybody is equally involved in the propaganda work. With the forthcoming election victory of the CMC for the UNP, all these so-called minor problems will be sorted out and the UNP will bounce back as a formidable force to be reckoned with to regain its lost glory at a future election.

Q: What you couldn't do for years such as city beautification, solving issues such as the garbage problems and pavement hawkers menace no longer bother the general public. Why couldn't the previous UNP administration do these things?

A: How can you say we didn't do those things? It was mainly during Ranasinghe Premadasa's premiership that the UNP started city beautification under J.R. Jayawardene's regime.

We started putting up multi-storeyed houses for shanty dwellers. Example is the Kettarama stadium.

What a lot of shanties and slums were there in and around Kettarama? We provided multi-sotreyed flats for the residents and put up an international stadium on that marshy land.

The city dwellers were happy and hailed the administration.

What is the position today? People are anxiously waiting for solutions.

The privatisation of garbage removal was carried out by Karu Jayasuriya during his tenure as Mayor. It has implemented uninterrupted since it has proved to be very successful.

The Central Government or the previous CMC administration had not taken any practical or progressive measures to alleviate the burning issues of CMC residents. Instead, they have burdened the city folk with untold hardships.

Q: It has been the belief in the past that community composition in the CMC area is favourable for the UNP. But this time, six registered parties and 11 independent groups are in the fray for slots in the CMC. The SLMC, Mano Ganeshan's party and DUA are fielding candidates separately. In such a situation, how can you say that the UNP will have an easy victory?

A: Apart from the UPFA, all the other parties and independent groups put together will not get even one tenth of what the UNP would poll at the election. They will not make a big impact on the final result. I know how Colombo people behave at elections, especially at the CMC election.

Q: Don't you think that former UNP heavyweight Mohamed Mahroof joining the Government is a blow to the party?

A: Not at all. It is a blessing in disguise. There are no UNP supporters to follow him except for a handful of his personal supporters.

If the UPFA had fielded some other person or even a complete new face as the Mayoral candidate, the party would poll more votes than what these two would score. I am personally very happy to consider myself the future Mayor of Colombo and I dare say that the UNP victory at the CMC election is a foregone conclusion.

Q: Apart from the people in the North and the East, the Colombo people suffered most during the battle against terrorism. Now that peace has dawned and people are free to move about, don't you think the situation would be favourable for the Government to secure the CMC?

A: It is true that the fear psychosis among the people had been dispelled thanks to the valiant forces and the political guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But the benefit of this victory should reach the city dwellers.

Instead, they are undergoing more hardships at present than ever before.

Think of the cost of living today. Electricity bills, water bills gas bills prices of essential food items have reached unprecedented levels. City dwellers are the most affected by this high cost of living.

In some areas in the Colombo East and Borella electorates, you find the poorest of the poor in this country. What has been done to enhance their living standards? They are impatiently waiting for the CMC elections to express their displeasure of the present CMC administration and the Government.

Q: You have been branded as a Ranil loyalist among the party membership. Do you think that the reformist group supporters in Colombo will extend their cooperation to you at the election?

A: First of all, I must tell you that we have no groups in the party. We are a united single group. Of course there are some differences of opinion on some matters among our party higher-ups.

That is common in any party with a huge membership. Some unscrupulous media groups are trying to make mountains out of molehills. I have worked under many UNP leaders and I have always been loyal to the leadership. I have leant different political lessons from all my leaders.

Former President the late Ranasinghe Premadasa told me, "Learn to follow if you want to lead". I have to tell you again that all our party leaders unanimously approved my candidature and everybody extend their support to me. I have no enemies in my beloved party. Our collective strength is my victory.

Q: Last time, your party devalued the prestigious office of the Colombo Mayor by totally ignoring the integrity of the Mayoral candidature. What do you have to say about it?

A: Once again I have to point my finger at two former UNP MPs.

They have to take the responsibility for the rejection of our nomination list over a technical failure.

Anyway we immediately established an understanding with the "spectacle" group and supported them to win the Council, but after sometime they left us in the lurch and joined the Government.

We had to undergo this negative experience mainly due to the fault of these two. That is why I reiterate the fact that the duo leaving the UNP is a blessing in disguise for the larger interest of our beloved party.

Q: The UPFA Mayoral candidate had said that he wouldn't pollute the city by pasting posters, cut outs, and loardings or using polythene. What do you say about this?

A: He doesn't have to do any of these things because he is getting adequate publicity through the media. But on October 9, he will realise that all his efforts had been in vain.