SL:NO CONFIDENCE MOTION AND NEW OPPOSITION ALLIANCE!!!

The time isn’t right for a ceasefire


Interview:Lakshman Kiriella

The Main opposition UNP on Tuesday threatened the government against a no- confidence motion on the oil hedging deal and several other issues is now under consideration of the party. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella maintains that a pledge made by the UNP in its alternative budget is about to come to fruition as the stage is set to give the people the benefit of oil price reduction in the global market. He said it would have been possible to reduce the oil prices if the price formula which was introduced by the UNP government of 2002 was in operation today. He explained that this formula was prepared taking into consideration the exchange rates and other factors which affect the oil prices. He said this formula enabled the government to increase prices when the global prices go up and reduce when world prices go down.

The entire Cabinet is responsible for the CPC deal going wrong.
Our issue is not with the war but the way it is being handled.
We have never stopped our support towards the minorities and their rights.
The civil society in Sri Lanka is dead and the media muzzled.
Talking of a political solution cost us the Sinhala vote.
Q: How serious is your threat to move a no-confidence motion against the government?

The entire question of hedging is the responsibility of the Cabinet because the Cabinet approved the deal- it was then the agreement was signed. Long before it was signed a consultant appointed for the CPC on January this year informed the CPC that the Citi Bank was in financial difficulty, but despite that warning CPC went ahead with it. That mistake was made by the Cabinet and they failed to lay down any guidelines following that. The Cabinet failed in its responsibility by giving an open check for hedging to take place only when prices increased and not decreased. Since Citi Bank was invited by the Central Bank it is also responsible. No approval of the Attorney General’s Department was also obtained. Even Asantha De Mel was President’s appointee as Chairman so the entire Cabinet is responsible. So we have discussed the possibilities of moving a no-confidence motion against the government soon as Parliament closes on the 8th. Our grounds for bringing the motion is based also on corruption involved with the Mihin Air and other issues like GSP and several other such issues.

Q: The Opposition is criticized for not using the Parliament to address these issues affecting the minorities. Is this a fair charge?

We have never stopped our support towards the minorities and their rights. When Tamil people were being boarded on buses and removed from Colombo we were the first to raise this in Parliament. Unfortunately the civil society in Sri Lanka is dead because they have been silenced by the government again in the name of war. Anyone killed in this country today is a terrorist and anyone questioning that is a traitor. The Professional organizations are also disgruntled with this situation but fear questioning this situation because they fear being termed a traitor. We as the opposition have been raising the issue of minorities throughout, but unfortunately the media is also muzzled today. The Defence Secretary himself threatened your Editor. There is nothing about the Opposition in the government media reports and even the private media is threatened. Several publishing houses have been burnt and some journalists threatened and others killed. The European Union calls it a culture of impunity. We raise these issues on a daily basis in Parliament, but whose reporting it? What can we do if 80% of what we say is not even reported? Even last morning Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe spoke in Parliament about a JHU move to question the dress code of some school girls.

Q: There is the view that the UNP is not taking a definite stand on the futility of the war by these same minority groups. What line do you think the UNP should take on the war?

That is not true. When the UNP signed an MoU with the SLFP Clause one of that agreement was that the UNP will give all support to the government to crush terrorism and even to the extent of supporting military means of doing so. The second clause was to seek and support the government’s move to finding a political solution to the problem and that the government would bring in the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. What we were opposed to from the beginning was what was being done in the name of this war. Hundreds of people have been abducted, many including MPs like Maheswaran or Raviraj killed but no one has been brought to book to date. TNA Leader MP Sampanthan gave names of people he believed were involved with the killing to Parliament but nothing has ben done up to date. They’re using this war to cover up all their sins. And there are serious cases of corruption in arms purchases all in the name of the war. Our issue is not with the war but the way it is being handled.

Q: The fact remains that the government is gaining impressive ground in the war front. What is the rationale for the opposition to win the people back from the euphoria of winning the war against terror?

Government gaining ground in the war front is not a new thing. In 1993 President D B Wijetunga fully cleared the Eastern province, so did President Chandrika Kumaratunga. But the fact remains that even the Army Commander admitted that even if the LTTE was crushed entirely the remnents of terrorism will remain and operate in these areas. What you really need is a political solution. The government has failed to win the hearts and minds of the minorities who feel totally alienated under this regime. So even if ground is gained much will remain undone. The government says the East is cleared but can the doctors and university students even go to these areas today? Pillaiyan himself says that he has no power and Karuna says there are no resources and before long they are not going to have answers for the people. As far as the UNP is concerned it is necessary to win the hearts and minds of the people and for a political solution to be in place in a united Sri Lanka. Sadly this is a dirty word in this government. We have always spoken of it till President Rajapaksa suddenly woke up to it recently. This position certainly cost us the Sinhala vote but this is simply the truth. We will however not change our strategy because that is the reality of the present situation. As long as government fails to win the people, terrorism will continue.

Q: As a member of a Party that believed in extensive negotiations with the LTTE are you critical of the negative response to the group under the present govt in view of a call for a ceasefire?

I don’t know if the situation is right for a ceasefire right now. And when you look at the past experiences with the LTTE we don’t think the time is right for a ceasefire. And such a ceasefire might even alienate the military forces. And even if the government goes for a ceasefire who is going to monitor it? There are various other problems in going for such a ceasefire. The government is even under pressure from the Indian government to go for a ceasefire but without anyone to monitor it, it will be a difficult thing to implement.

Q: Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has received much criticism towards his failure to take measures to overcome the increasing degradation of the Party? How do you see this criticism?

The government is boasting that it is a strong government with a majority in Parliament, but the fact is that it has a majority from all UNPers they hi-jacked from us! If 20 of those UNPers were to desert then the government won’t have the strength they speak of. This is certainly not the fault of the UNP. They shouldn’t even be holding these portfolios given that the people voted them for being UNPers but with everything turning the way it does what can we do?

Q: What in your opinion contributed towards the defeat of the UNP at the last provincial elections and what is happening to remedy this situation?

Our supporters are still there and our base is still strong. Don’t forget that we got 40% at the NCP and Sabaragamuwa elections. This is despite all the war cries and lies that came from the government side. This is what we want to work on.

Q: How confident are you however in going for an election in this scenario?

They are only going to be having these scattered elections because they can’t have have one for the whole country. The high CoL and war cries can only take them so far. What about the wastage of funds? In the villages the only jobs they can offer are in the army. There is nothing in manufacturing field that are creating jobs anymore. The GSP is not coming through, investors are going away, tea, rubber and cinnamon prices are low and tourism has crashed. People in the villages are in very deep trouble. They’re using the blood of our children to stay in power. Past governments have had wars but this is the only government that has sold the war to this sad end.

Q: How successful has your call for all opposition parties to form an alliance to defeat this Government been?

It is being worked on talks are taking place very, very successfully.

courtesy..dailymirror.lk