Infighting drove me back to SLFP - Former UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

One conjures up the image of a “Sonduru Minisa” in the politician Dayasiri Jayasekara. Suave but forthright, in pithy Sinhala he confessed that the “kepilla” within the UNP forced him back to his political “Maha Gedara”, the SLFP. Despite the heat and vitriols of politics, aesthete Dayasiri kept his cool until the day he stirred a hornet’s nest in bidding goodbye to the UNP. Former UNP stalwart and UPFA candidate for the upcoming Wayamba Provincial Council Election Dayasiri Jayasekara in an interview with the Sunday Observer said that the Government would achieve a resounding victory at the upcoming Provincial Council elections. The Government will also record a landslide victory at the next Presidential Election as well. The UNP will suffer a humiliating defeat in all future elections. It will be not in a position to gain power at least within the next ten years or so, he said.

Jayasekara said his aim is to win at least 250,000 preferential votes at the Wayamba Provincial Council Election and become the first in the district. I am just another candidate contesting the election under the UPFA ticket and the Party has not nominated a Chief Ministerial candidate as yet. The people will themselves decide as to who will be the next Chief Minister.

I have no doubt that they will elect me as the Chief Minister with the highest number of preferential votes. At present a large number of people is rallying round me and they are voluntarily extending their full support to me. The significant gesture is that they don’t help me for the sake of money or any other personal gains. People are well aware that Dayasiri Jayasekara is not a marketable commodity. It is the politician Dayasiri who attracts the people, he said.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: You were one of the most vociferous UNP front-liners who criticised the UPFA Government. What led you to suddenly quit UNP Parliamentary seat and contest the forthcoming Wayamba Provincial Council polls under the UPFA ticket?

A: There were manifold reasons for my resignation from the UNP and joining the Government. At present there is a dictatorial rule in the UNP and unilateral decisions are taken by the party leadership. The decision-making body is dominated by three or four close associates of the Leader. Under this set up the UNP lacks the strategy to capture power in the near future. As a result, thousands of UNP supporters at grassroots level have become disillusioned. Anyone who struggles against this dictatorial system will have to face disciplinary action or expulsion from positions held by him. There is a large number of party members who either got caught to the guillotine or had to leave the party. The UNP leadership is incompetent and as such the party supporters had suffered for over 20 years without any ray of hope for victory.

There is also no alternative program to make the party victorious at any election. We had struggled against this dictatorial leadership and questioned about the crisis within the party. A large number of UNP Parliamentarians, Provincial Council members and other Local Government members too joined us. They had become victims to a witch-hunt. Some of them lost their membership, designations and positions. I too was continuously subjected to cut-throats by the party leadership. Although my disciplinary inquiry had been completed long ago the leadership deliberately dragged it for over eight months. Instead of attempting to gain power, the party leadership is taking revenge from UNP Parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha members who resist his dictatorial leadership. I had decided to join the Government and contest the Wayamba Provincial Council Election without being isolated in the Opposition.

Q:It had become a common phenomenon for the Opposition MPs to cross over to the Government seeking ministerial portfolios. Why did you decide to resign from your seat and contest Wayamba Provincial Council Election?

A: I too could have crossed over to the Government and easily got a ministerial portfolio and enjoy all perks. As a person elected to Parliament from the UNP votes, I believe that I have no moral right to enjoy a ministerial portfolio or other perks. Therefore, I resigned from the Parliamentary seat and decided to contest Wayamba Provincial Council Election seeking a fresh mandate from the people in the province. Since I have resigned from the UNP, the party leader could now appoint the next person in the list to fill my vacancy. I think that I have followed the true democratic procedure unlike other Opposition MPs who crossed over to the Government.

I think nobody could criticise the decision taken by me. Nor could one accuse me of betraying the Party. I resigned from my Parliamentary seat and allowed the next person in the UNP list to be nominated to the vacancy. I have set a novel example and opened the opportunity for a national political dialogue. I had received 132,000 preferential votes at the last General Election by contesting Kurunegala district under the UNP ticket. The highest number of preferential votes I received was second only to that of UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last General Election.

My target is to get at least 250,000 preferential votes at the Wayamba Provincial Council Election and become first in the district. Nearly 50 to 60 percent of UNPers in the Kurunegala district have already extended their fullest support to me. I am just another candidate contesting the election and the UPFA has not nominated a Chief Ministerial candidate as yet. The people themselves will decide at the election who will be the next Chief Minister. I have no doubt that they will elect me as the Chief Minister with the highest number of preferential votes.

At present a large number of people is rallying round me and they are voluntarily extending their support to me. The significant gesture is that they don’t come to me for the sake of money or any other personal gains. The people know that Dayasiri Jayasekara is not a marketable commodity. It is the politician Dayasiri who attracts the people. If I become the Chief Minister, I will certainly galvanise the Provincial Council into rapid action.

Q: Do you think that the emerging politicians such as you have no future in the UNP under the present leadership?

A: The Party Leader always groom only a few people who are in his inner circle. He does not give any opportunity for emerging, young MPs. Even my right to think freely in the party had been stifled in a dangerous manner. We had been rather forced to groping in the dark. Anyway I am happy that I could come out of darkness. The UNP Leader is a conservative.

Q: With internal conflicts and lack of democracy in the UNP, how do you view Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s pledge to the country that he will capture power in 2014?

A: It is mere dream and it would never be a reality. This is just another gimmick to mislead the partymen. At present the vote base of the UNP has eroded to an irreparable degree. The present leader has extended his term of office for another six years to stay in power. So far under Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership, 65 UNP MPs have left the Party and joined the Government. In addition to them, hundreds of Provincial Council and other local government members who opposed the UNP leadership are also joining government. At present the UNP high command has introduced certain dictatorial clauses such as clause 8 to the Party constitution.

According to it, unless a vacancy occurs in the post of party leader, it will remain unchanged. This means that the leadership will not change until the leader resigns or dies. Now, the UNP Leader is talking of an election in 2014, but even if the UNP fails, its leader will continue till 2018. Anyway it is good news for the Government to be happy.

Now the dream of the UNP leadership is to capture power in 2022. That means, the UNP supporters will have to suffer for another 10 years.

Q: How do you view the UNP Leader’s new draft constitution introducing radical changes to the 1978 Constitution?

A: There are no radical changes in the UNP’s draft constitution. It would further worsen the crisis within the party. A mere set of new words would not make a change within a political party. In order to effect any changes, comprehensive reforms should be introduced. The only radical change introduced by Ranil Wickremesinghe is that he expelled competent people from the party or removed them from the positions they held in the party.

Many of our party members have been penalised in this manner. A large number of party stalwarts has left the party and crossed over to the Government because of the leadership.

Q: You had alleged that sexual harassment forced you to crossover to the Government. Could you elaborate on this?

A: What I meant was that when the party leadership gives priority to his ‘favourites’ a great injustice is done to other competent people in the party. As a result, talented people are always sidelined. Opportunities are provided only to such favourites. At present the UNP has descended to a deplorable state of doing only ‘voice-cut politics’ attributable to the unresponsive leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Q: How do you differentiate the leadership skills of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe?

A: President Rajapaksa is a Leader who has felt the pulse of the common people. He always maintains a close rapport with the people. He loves the motherland and the people. That is why despite tremendous pressure exerted on him he took a bold decision to defeat the LTTE and free the country from terrorism. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is far remote from the ordinary people. He is living in a world of make believe. The UNP leadership is unpatriotic. When the Government troops waged a successful battle against the LTTE terror in 2008, the UNP leadership attempted to undermine the military operations against terrorists.

Q: Is there any solution to the present malaise in the UNP?

A: There is no solution. The Government would achieve a resounding victory at the three Provincial Council elections. The UNP will face a humilating defeat in all future elections. The Government will achieve a landslide victory at the next Presidential Election as well. The UNP is not in a position to capture power even within the next ten years while the Government would continue to win all future elections without any challenge whatsoever.

Q: You have told the media that a large number of UNP provincial politicians had held discussions with you to join the Government. Can you explain this?

A: After my resignation, 48 UNP Pradeshiya Sabha members had held discussions with me to join the Government. I will prove this before the Wayamba Provincial Council Election.

Following my resignation, the Opposition Leader and five members of the Panduwasnuwara Pradeshiya Sabha too have decided to join the Government.

Q: The UNP has made the allegation that you were bought over for Rs. 250 million. Would you like to enlighten us on this?

A: I think the people know very well that I am not a person who betrays my position and policies for the sake of money. There is no need for me to resign from my Parliamentary seat and contest the Provincial Council elections had I been offered Rs. 250 million as alleged. At present the UPFA Government has an overwhelming majority of 161 seats in Parliament. Therefore, the Government has no intention whatsoever to offer money and get Opposition members on to the Government side. Whenever an Opposition MP crossed over to the Government, the UNP repeats it’s old story of getting money. This time they have increased my value to Rs. 250 million.

This allegation is levelled against me chiefly by UNP MP Harin Fernando. I think I should not respond to the comments by politicians of his mindset. Earlier UNP MP Mangala Samaraweea had made wild allegations against the Government on the purchase of MiG fighter jets. When the Government appointed a Committee to look into this transaction, Samaraweera failed to give evidence before it. The UNP has become notorious for levelling this kind of baseless allegations.

Q: Is the Government confident of winning the Wayamba Provincial Council Election?

A: Definitely. The Government would achieve a resounding victory at Wayamba Provincial Council election. I will lead the ruling UPFA in the Wayamba Province to a resounding victory. At present thousands of UNPers join hands with the Government. It is quite evident that the Government would score a historic victory at the Provincial Council Elections. The UNP will certainly face a crisis when many UNP grassroots level leaders will also join the Government soon.

Q: What is your future political ambition?

A: I had launched my political career at the grassroots level and as such I have a solid political standing built by me alone. I was sidelined by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and later I fell victim to cutthroats by UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for over 13 years. However, at long last I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was the SLFP where I launched my political career. Therefore, my rejoining the SLFP means my ‘going back to my political Maha Gedara’. I hope President Mahinda Rajapaksa will harness my energy for the betterment of the country.