UPFA victory will send a strong signal to intl.community - Gamini Thilakasiri

By Uditha Kumarasinge

Former Provincial Minister and UPFA Colombo District candidate for the forthcoming Western Provincial Council Election Gamini Thilakasiri said it was obvious that attempts are being made by certain local and international forces to destabilize Sri Lanka.

Therefore, a resounding victory to be achieved by the Government at the provincial council elections would give a strong message to the international community that the majority of the people fully endorse the program initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take the country forward. Thilakasiri who claimed to be the most senior SLFPer contesting Colombo district under the UPFA ticket told the Sunday Observer said that the Western and Southern Provincial Council elections are a need of the hour as the outcome of the election would give a strong message to the entire world. Whatever the mud-slinging and false propaganda carried out by the Opposition, the vast majority of the people have extended their fullest support to the President and the Government irrespective of petty differences.

Thilakasiri said that he always maintained that Provincial Councils continue to do a vast amount of work each province. Provincial Councils are also represented today by those who condemned it as a white elephant. It is the responsibility of the Provincial Council members to carry out the task entrusted upon them efficiently.

Q: You had represented the Western Provincial Council since 1993. Do you think that you had fulfilled the aspirations of the people in the Province, specially in the Colombo district?

A: Definitely. The outcome of my election result is a clear testimony to the fact whether the people have accepted me or not. It is because there is a significant improvement in the number of preferential votes I had obtained at each Provincial Council Election. I obtained 49,630 preferential votes at the previous Provincial Council Election. I had received the second highest number of votes in the Colombo district. I think the people are satisfied with the services rendered by me over the past so many years.

Q: There is an allegation by certain people that Provincial Councils are a white elephant. As a senior Provincial Councillor, how do you respond to this allegation?

A: I categorically deny that allegation. I see the Provincial Councils are far ahead of even other institutions. Almost all the services in a particular province are mainly provided via Provincial Councils. It is difficult to find even a single service which is not provided by Provincial Councils.

The Pradeshiya Sabhas and Urban Councils come under the purview of Provincial Councils. For example in the Homagama electorate, nearly 90 percent of the state institutions come under the purview of the Western Provincial Council. Among them are the 37 schools and two hospitals.

This clearly shows how the Provincial Council has streamlined its services throughout the electorate. Resources and other facilities for these 37 schools are provided by the Provincial Council apart from organising seminars for the students who sit the Year Five Scholarship Examination and G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination.

The Provincial Council converted Homagama hospital into a full-fledged hospital.

The Provincial Council is playing a vital role in the health sector as well. Therefore, we can’t treat the PC system as a white elephant.

I always maintain the position that PCs are important to the country as they are doing a great deal of work in each province. Provincial Councils are represented today by those who condemned it as a white elephant. It is the responsibility of the Provincial Councillors

themselves to perform the task entrusted upon them efficiently.

Q: How are the UPFA candidates faring in the run-up to the election? Will the Fonseka factor be a challenge to the UPFA vote base?

A: I don’t think so. The Fonseka factor won’t pose any challenge to the Government in the Western Province, specially in the Colombo district. The UPFA would surely come first in the Western province by securing a very large number of majority votes. The UNP’s vote base would drop further while Fonseka’s party would obtain the least number of votes. Neither, the UNP nor Fonseka's party will pose a challenge to the UPFA.

Q: Will the new popular figures be a challenge to the longstanding councillors?

A: It’s a common phenomenon that new faces are introduced by political parties at each election. Sometimes those popular figures use their money and stature to get the votes. They may adopt various tactics for that purpose. Sometimes the people may be misled by such gimmicks. It happened in some of the past Provincial Council Elections as well. I am the most senior SLFPer in the UPFA’s Colombo district list. During my longstanding political career, I have always tried my best to safeguard the SLFP. I became the chairman of Kesbewa Pradeshiya Sabha in 1991. I was elected to the Western Provincial Council in 1993. Since then I have regularly elected to the Provincial Council. I was also elected to Parliament in the latter part of 1999. Therefore I hope the SLFPers in the Colombo district who love their party would cast their preferential vote for me as I am the most senior member in the Colombo district.

Q: Your party has not nominated a Chief Ministerial candidate. Will there be a change in the Chief Minister post this time?

A: I can’t comment on it. I hope former Chief Minister will be given the chief ministerial portfolio this time as well, because he is a competent to efficiently discharge the responsibilities of the Chief Minister.

One of the UPFA candidates who is dreaming to become the Chief Minister had told a newspaper that he was one of the former chairmen of the Maharagama Urban Council. This is false propaganda carried out by him. We should not tell lies to the people to secure their votes.

It is unbecoming of a reputed public representative. If we are with the people and genuinely want to serve them, we don’t need to make false promises them. Some candidates distribute various things among the people to get their votes. But I don’t want to do so. I am fully against such practices. Why should we cheat the people in such a manner? In my election meetings, I do not promise any such things to them. I had fully dedicated my political career over the past so many years to serve the needs of my voters.

It was I who identified the location where the President constructed the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium at Diyagama. I have constructed 30 school buildings in Homagama electorate itself. I don’t think there is a single Education Minister who had constructed 30 school buildings during his tenure.

Q: What are the major development activities carried out by the Western Provincial Council during the last term for the benefit of the people?

A: I think the provincial council had played a leading role to develop the education sector in the province. This has helped promote education in the province to a higher standard. Annually, I reserve some amount of money to organize seminars for the students who sit for the Year Five Scholarship Examination and G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination. I don’t do these things targeting elections. I have done this for the past eight years and spent over Rs.4 million to conduct these seminars.

I have witnessed myself the benefits enjoyed by students at these seminars. According to last year’s Year Five Scholarship Examination results, two students in the Homagama electorate had won the island's second and forth places. The road network which comes under the Provincial Council has been developed over the past few years. I think during its next tenure the Provincial Council, will complete the repairs too the existing road net work in the province.

Q: Do you have a blueprint for the next term of the Provincial Council? If so, what are your priorities?

A: I think we should develop all key areas such as education, health and road network in the province. I would try my best to develop these areas.

Q: How do you respond to the allegation levelled by the Opposition that there is no relevance of the Provincial Council polls to the UNHRC sessions in Geneva? The Opposition has alleged that this is an attempt by the Government to mislead the people and get their votes?

A: I don’t agree. Actually holding elections is not an attempt by the Government to misled the public. On the contrary attempts are being made by certain local and international forces to destabilize the country.

Therefore the resounding victory to be achieved by the Government at the provincial council elections would give a strong message to the international community that the majority of the people fully endorse the programs initiated by President Rajapaksa to take the country forward.

I think holding Western and Southern Provincial Council elections is the need of the hour as the outcome of the election would certainly give a strong message to the international community. Whatever mud- slinging and false propaganda campaigns carried out by the Opposition, the vast majority of the people have extended their fullest support to the President and the Government irrespective of petty differences among them.

Q: Being a senior politician who has represented the Western Provincial council for the last number of years, are you happy with your achievements? What is your future ambition?

A: When the UNP Government was in power, I was elected the SLFP chairman of the Kesbewa Pradeshiya Sabha in 1991. That was a victory for me and the party as well. It was we who fired the first volleys from Kesbewa at the UNP Government in 1991.

I could become the chairman of Kesbewa Pradeshiya Sabha in 1991. Later my party wanted me to contest the Provincial Council Election and I was elected as a member of the Western Provincial Council in 1993.

For the first time in my political career, I unsuccessfully contested the 1994 General Election. However, after the demise of Minister C.V. Goonaratne in 1999, I was elected to Parliament for a brief period.

Again, I contested the 2004 Provincial Council election and obtained the highest number preferential votes from Colombo district. As a result, I was given a ministerial portfolio. I completed a great deal of work as a Provincial Minister up to 2009.

At the last Provincial Council Election, I obtained 49,630 preferential votes.

But I was not fortunate enough to get a ministerial portfolio. The UPFA candidate who had obtained 29,000 preferential votes was given a ministerial post. But I don’t have any regret about it. I hope this time I would get a ministerial post since in my political career, I have made many sacrifices on behalf of the SLFP. I even sacrificed my Homagama SLFP organizer post which I held during the past 15 years. As its organizer, I could have brought Homagama electorate on par with other developed electorates.

Even the President has commended the services rendered by me on behalf of the SLFP.