UNP leadership, no issue for victory - Mayantha Dissanayaka

By Ranil Wijayapala

Mayantha Dissanayake, a son of the late Gamini Dissanayake, who was a prominent figure in the United National Party and was assassinated in a ruthless suicide terror attack while engaging in an election campaign. Mayantha is contesting the Central Provincial Council election from the Kandy district.

Despite issues within the UNP, Mayantha Dissnayake is confident that the UNP will win the Central Provincial Council election on September 21. The Sunday Observer interviewed him while he was engaged in an election campaign in Kandy.

Following are excerpts of the interview.

Q:What kind of program are you and the UNP team forwarding to the people at this election to be elected to the Central Provincial Council ?

A:My belief is that the UNP will win and UNP can form the Provincial Council. The UNP administration can do a lot of work in the Central Province after its victory as the Central Province is predominantly a UNP area.

My proposal at this election is that has projects not implemented under the Mahaweli should be reactivated and implemented. My plan is to develop roadways, schools, provincial irrigation systems and also to address the unemployment issue. My proposal is that even foreign aid should be channelled specifically to development projects in the Central Province.

If the UNP administration or the Chief Minister go abroad and get aid grants, it has to be channeled through the central government, but that aid can be channeled specifically to the Central Province through the Central Government .

For example the World Bank has specific programs and loan facilities targeting the Central Province. We must target these loans and do a development plan once again like the Mahaweli development program but this time around it should be channeled through Provincial Councis.

The Provincial Council elections are significant in showing the country that the UNP can win.A development program will address the gap created in the development process in the province and to provide items required for schools, roads, power, environment, youth and infrastructure immediately after the election.

Q:You mentioned that the Central Province is predominantly a UNP stronghold. So how did it change into a UPFA stronghold ?

A: I think it is because of central politics. Because in 2005, President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the Presidential election and in 2010 it was after the end of the war on terrorism that President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the election.

It is with this result that these changes have occurred. One should keep in mind that the Central Province was under the UNP till 2005.

The Council was under W.B. Dissanayake and then the Acting Chief Minister Aluvihare from Matale under the UNP. It was really after the war on terrorism and during the progress of the war on terrorism that the Central Province changed.I think this is a temporary change and we can harness it once again.

Q:We know that your family strongly opposed terrorism and your father was a victim of terrorism. But you are now contesting against a government that has defeated that terrorism which killed your father. This is a contradictory situation. How do you explain this situation ?

A: Basically I also supported the Government in terms of the war on terrorism. I am grateful today that the war on terrorism was won. In short that it compensated my father's death and justice has been done against the perpetrators responsible for his assassination.

We supported the government on this issue. However, the issue is after the war on terrorism, we thought the Government will act in a manner that will grant relief the the people. But that has not happened. In terms of corruption,

As far as the war on terrorism was concerned, we supported the Government because we had to win the war. I am continuing my politics with the UNP.

It is my belief that it is the only party that can develop this country. If you look at the UNP track record starting from D.S. Senanayake, the founder of our nation and founder of our party, from Dudley Senanayake to Sir John Kothalawala they have rally developed the country.

Even if you look at the period from 1977 to 1994, it is the UNP that can develop this country and therefore my political journey is with the UNP.

Q:You said that the UNP can win the forthcoming election in the Central Province. But there is a perception that there is a weak leadership and that there is no organisational structure at ground level. So on what basis are you saying that the UNP can win the election ?

A:The UNP until recently was divided. But today Karu Jayasuriya, Sajith Premadasa, Ranjith Maddumabandara who had problems in the party have got back and are working day and night to ensure the victory of the party. Even someone like Sujeewa Serasinghe who was critical of the leadership is today working in Theldeniya.

All those who had problems with the party are now working within the party.

Any political party in opposition for so many years will definitely have issues. If you take the SLFP in the 1980's many SLFPers crossed over to the UNP Government. This is nothing new. I am saying that the UNP will win the Central Province simply because everybody who speaks to me says that 19 years in opposition was enough and we must win.

There are issues in the UNP. Any political party has issues whether it is the UNP or the SLFP. There is no political party that does not have issues unless it is a party that consists of a very few people. However, in the Central Provincial election, there is no doubt that the UNP has put its best foot forward.

Q:It is a prerequisite to have a strong leadership at the top and at grassroot level to win the elections ?

A:Yes, but keep in mind that in 1993 when Mrs. Bandaranaike was the leader of the SLFP, under her leadership Chandrika won the Southern Provincial Council election and later they won the Western Provincial Council election.

That was the start to Chandrika becoming prime minister and later President. When Mrs. Bandaranike was on a wheel chair, they won the Southern Provincial Council election.

Let's see what will happen on September 21, the UNP winning the Central Provincial Council. I am not saying that we don't have a weak leadership.

No. I am saying that the UNP will win because this election is not based on leadership. This election is based on how hard the organisation in the province works, how hard candidates work and how hard the party branch membership work.

It doesn't depend on what the leadership is. To be fair by the leadership, today Ranil Wickremasinghe and the leadership of the party is trying hard to unite the party. To a large extent he will be successful in uniting the party.

Q:You are talking about developing the Central Province. In your analysis what is lacking in the Central Province because the argument that the present Government has done nothing to develop the province is not true ?

A:Yes certain development activities have taken place but you must also question at what price. If a road costs Rs.200,000 and only Rs.150,000 is spent, there is something radically wrong. This is clear. We have identified so many road ways that were to be made but nothing has been done about it. The education system is in a mess. Whether it is electricity, water, education,electricity or the cost of living - these are factors that have escalated beyond control. People thought that after the war against terrorism, the cost of living and everything else will reduce. But it hasn't happened.

Electricity for the Central Province can be given almost free by the Mahaweli., because the cost of the dam and irrigations systems and the turbines have been paid. Every unit of electricity produced by the Mahaweli comes almost without any cost.

Q: What you are saying is that there is corruption in the development drive. But these allegations were levelled against the UNP government also when it engaged in the development drive. How do you react to such a scenario?

A: Corruption was never at this level

Q: You mean there was corruption?

A: There may have been a little. This happens under any government. The Norochcholai power plant has collapsed over 22 or 23 times whereas power generation from the Mahaweli is continuing though they were constructed many years ago. Issues of this nature are occurring.

It is about mismanagement of the economy and mismanagement of the government. How do you manage a Government with around 70 ministries.

This country should ideally have a maximum of 25 to 30 ministries. We have doubled that number. Obviously there is going to be corruption and mismanagement. If you have a company for example with so many directors, working directors and managing directors problems will occur.

Q: There is diverse opinion within your family. Do you have the blessings of your mother?

A: I have her blessings. Keep in mind that our family is a UNP family. My mother was a Presidential candidate and she was the only woman to contest the Presidential election in the UNP's history. She contested even without performing the last rites of her husband.

My father's body was still at home and the funeral was not even over when she contested. The UNP made a request to her to contest as the Presidential candidate, she obliged because she is a UNPer. I believe that we should be in the UNP and I also believe that my brother should join the UNP.

I will never leave the UNP, because my heart and soul is in the UNP and I believe that it is only through the UNP that this country can be developed.

Q: How sure are you abut the victory of the UNP

A: I am certain that we will win.. I say that the UNP will form the Central Provincial Council and I am confident that a large number of Provincial Councillors will come from the Kandy district.

Q: Do you have any estimates?

A: We currently have 12 seats and we believe that we will get 18 seats from Kandy.