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‘President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a good human. But when it comes to matters like administering the country, managing the economy and keeping the ethnic balance, he has failed. Sri Lanka’s minorities are of the view that this government has become a prisoner in the hands of a few discarded chauvinists’, UNP candidate for the forthcoming Western Provincial Council poll, A.J.M. Muzammil told this newspaper in an interview.
‘The government has failed to manage the economy. The gravest hardships for the people are yet to come. In the future the country will be bankrupt. No help is forthcoming from the state for vital sectors of the economy, such as, industries and tourism. The government tried to show that the world economy was to blame for rising local prices. But even when prices of some essentials have come down internationally, these benefits are not passed on to the people’, Muzammil explained.
Extracts of interview:
Q: Why are you running for election on the UNP ticket and not on that of the SLMC?
A: I have right along been a UNPer; even from my school days. I contested the last PC election from the Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA) because the circumstances were such at that time that I could not contest from the UNP. But I sat with the UNP in the PC and worked with it.
Q: But would not Muslim interests be served better by being with the SLMC?
A: The need for a Muslim political party was felt most when Eastern Sri Lanka was totally neglected by governments. The 12 year long J.R. administration, for instance, did not have a Muslim representative for the East. That was prior to the late M.H.M. Ashraff taking up the cause of the Eastern Muslims. Ashraff helped President Premadasa in his presidential campaign in the East in 1988. I helped negotiate this co-operative arrangement between the two. President Premadasa helped Ashraff in the East in order to carry forward his message.
However, in 1994, President D.B. Wijetunge did not seek Ashraff’s support. A deal, instead, was struck between President Chandrika Bandaranaike and Ashraff. This enabled Ashroff to win some of the rights of Eastern and Northern Muslims. He was a strong believer in working with a major party. In 2001, Ashraff formed the National Unity Alliance ( NUA). The tree symbol of the SLMC was attached to the NUA. He wanted to wind-up the SLMC. This is because Ashraff wanted the NUA to represent all the communities of the land and be a truly national party. He did not want the NUA to function on communal lines.
After Ashraff’s death a crisis erupted within the SLMC. The SLMC disregarded Asraff’s advice and this crisis continues. Today, the SLMC is in five pieces. Three groups are with the government. One is with the Opposition and another is without political authority. This is all because the SLMC did not follow Ashroff’s path.
Q: What is your intention in contesting under the UNP?
A: There is a big vacuum in Colombo, within the UNP, for a moderate Muslim leadership. The old guard has left the UNP. I consider this election a good opportunity to fill this vacuum.
Q: But isn’t running for election under the ruling coalition a better option?
A: President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a good human. But when it comes to matters like management of the economy and keeping the ethnic balance, he has failed. Minorities are of the view that this government is a prisoner in the hands of a few discarded chauvinists. The government has proved this point.
The government is worried that the minorities are not voting for it. Extending portfolios to individuals will not help satisfy the aspirations of the minorities. We cannot be told that we are second or third class citizens. This is our motherland and we should enjoy equal status with all.
Q: But don’t you think you are taking a gamble by contesting under the UNP?
A: I agree. But you must understand, going through history, that the party in power always wins local elections. This is because the Opposition is handicapped. If you really want to test the people’s opinion of the government, you must have a parliamentary or presidential election.
Q: What do you hope to achieve by contesting the poll?
A: People must send a strong message to the government. There is a limit to our tolerance. The government is trying to hide their mismanagement and failures behind military victories. We salute our soldiers; they are fighting for the nation. However, they do not represent any political party. Government is trying to make political gains from the successes of the security forces.
Historically, it is Prabhakaran who ruined the UNP. The LTTE assassinated a long line of UNP leaders. It has already politically assassinated Ranil Wickremesinghe twice; first, by enabling Chandrika to ride the crest of a sympathy vote by wounding her in one of her eyes on the eve of the first poll when Ranil challenged her. Second, by denying the Northern people their vote when Ranil ran against Mahinda.
It must be remembered that Karuna and his cadres were created by the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement, and this marked a serious setback for the LTTE. Douglas Devananda was first brought into Parliament on the UNP list. Prabhakaran would not have forgiven Ranil for these setbacks. However, the Ceasefire Agreement originated from Chandrika’s government; Ranil’s government implemented it.
Q: What are the UNP’s chances at the PC poll?
A: The government has failed to manage the economy. The gravest hardships are yet to come. The country is heading for bankruptcy. There is no help from the government for vital sectors of the economy. The government is trying to show that the consumers’ distress is caused by world economic trends. But there is no link. Today, although prices of some goods have come down in the world market these benefits have not reached the consumer. Thus have thus people been failed.
