A.J.M. Muzammil

Veteran politician A. J. M. Muzammil asserted that a change of party leadership wouldn’t be enough to change its luck. In an interview with The Island at his Clifford Avenue political office, Muzammil who contests the forthcoming WPC elections on the UNP ticket said that the government wouldn’t be able to depend solely on its battlefield success to inspire election victories. With the LTTE down on its knees, the April 25 poll would be the last conducted against the backdrop of a major battlefield success. By end of this year, the government would have an immense challenge on the economic front. And that may force the people to listen carefully to what Wickremesinghe says.

The following are the excepts of the interview.

Q- The UNP had an opportunity to overthrow the SLFP-led UPFA administration of the WPC a few years ago by supporting a no-faith faith motion initiated by the JVP. The Marxist party’s move was against the former Chief Minister Reginold Cooray accused of waste, corruption and irregularities. Among the issues raised by the JVP was Cooray seeking kickbacks to authorise implementation of a garbage disposal scheme. As a member of the UNP group in the last council would you defend that decision?

A- Even if the UNP had voted with the JVP, we couldn’t have brought down Cooray. In fact, the UNP facilitated the appointment of Nandana Mendis, younger brother of UNP stalwart Wijeyapala Mendis as Chief Minister of the WPC for a short period. It was part of our strategy to overcome the crisis while denying the JVP opportunity to exploit the situation. We didn’t want the WPC to come under the influence of the JVP. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe authorised our strategy once I explained the situation. Although Cooray wasn’t the right choice, we ignored his shortcomings and alleged malpractices as the party at that time wanted to thwart the JVP. The crisis over collection and disposal of garbage in the city should be shared by the CMC and the WPC. It wouldn’t be right to pin the responsibility exclusively on Cooray.

Q- Under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership, the UPFA had comfortably secured the East, Sabaragamuwa, North Central, Wayamba and Central provinces. Do you think the UNP had an opportunity at least to improve its performances at the forthcoming elections for the WPC?

A- We’ll definitely obtain better results than the previous elections to PCs held by the Rajapaksa administration. The minorities in the WP, particularly in the City and its suburbs, would vote with the UNP. Make no mistake, they would overwhelmingly back UNP candidates if the government allowed free and fair elections. The government was particularly targeting the Colombo Central as part of a calculated attempt to scare UNP supporters ahead of the forthcoming poll. Contrary to claims, the government has failed to win the confidence of the minorities. Their aspirations couldn’t be met by defeating the LTTE by military means.

Q-uestion-You have called the President a good human being. The President and his team, particularly brother Basil R have exploited almost all political parties. They have won over an influential section of the UNP, triggered the worst ever crisis in the JVP and the SLMC by accommodating almost 30 members in the government parliamentary group and most importantly secured the support of the one-time LTTE organisation in the Batticaloa-Ampara region. Under Rajapaksa’s leadership the government seemed unbeatable. Do you (read UNP) have a chance in the WP or forthcoming elections for Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces?

A- Of course he was a good human being. The Rajapaksas were able to exploit not only the UNP but all opposition parties represented in Parliament due to opposition MPs being able to crossover without even facing the prospect of disciplinary action by their political parties. There was no magic in the Rajapaksas’ strategy. Had the Supreme Court not cleared the way for crossovers, opposition political parties wouldn’t have been in a mess today. MPs wouldn’t have dared to switch allegiance to the ruling coalition if they feared losing their seats for violating party discipline. Now, some of them had been appointed as SLFP organisers. Nothing could be as ridiculous as this. Almost half of the government parliamentary group comprises of MPs elected from other political parties.

Under the PR system, the Constitution did not permit crossovers. If the crossover provision was fully implemented, anyone violating party discipline could have been sacked within 30 days from an act of treachery.

In 1988, the then President JRJ dissolved Parliament at midnight as his Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa emerged as the winner at the first presidential election. JRJ didn’t even bother to consult the PM. JRJ’s reasoning was simple, he didn’t want Premadasa to take over the country with an unparalleled 5/6 majority in Parliament.

I still believe that Karuna factor was a child born as a result of the Norwegian brokered CFA finalised during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Prime Minister. The bottom line is that crossovers had made it almost difficult to run opposition parties. Today political parties in the opposition as well as UPFA constituents were in disarray due to crossovers which has made a mockery of parliamentary elections.

Q- Would you ever believe that a breakaway LTTE faction led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and an influential section of dissident SLMC group led by M. L. A. M. Hisbullah could work together in the first ever EPC?

A- Even through the East was a Muslim majority province, the President picked Chandrakanthan. To the credit of Chandrakanthan and Hisbullah, they had managed to work together for the betterment of the easterners. They should be complimented for taking an unprecedented challenge. Unfortunately, the government despite its many battlefield success still believed in a strategy of divide and rule.

Q- India is overtly supportive of the Chandrakanthan’s administration. A simmering row between Chandrakanthan and his one-time leader Karuna now an UPFA National List MP, hasn’t discouraged Indian assistance to Chandrakanthan. India has also increased its investments in Sri Lanka. Do you think that Indian role in Sri Lanka has strengthened the government at the expense of the UNP?

A- India is determined to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as part of a negotiated settlement to the ethnic problem. It would be a mistake on Sri Lanka’s part to ignore India’s desire for a merged North-East Province. The election of Chandrakanthan, a Tamil as the Chief Minister of the EP could be part of their strategy to keep the possibility of re-merger of the East with the Northern Province. Indian assistance both to the EPC and the government had facilitated the war against LTTE. Of course, their continued assistance has strengthened the government and was at the expense of the UNP.

Q- The Rajapaksa administration shamelessly exploits success on the war front. Under Defence Secretary Gotabhaya R’s leadership, the armed forces and police had brought the LTTE to its knees within three years after the LTTE triggered eelam war IV. Would you accept that battlefield success had immensely contributed to the government’s success at provincial council elections?

A- The government has achieved tremendous success on the war front. There was no dispute over the armed forces ability to finish off the LTTE. But, on the economic front, the Rajapaksa administration had failed at least to realise the grave crisis faced by the country. We are facing total economic chaos and success on the war front wouldn’t be enough to save us. The government seemed blind to economic woes and in the absence of short or long term plan, people couldn’t expect any tangible help. The government was only interested in raising taxes and introducing new taxes as in the case of the Nation Building Tax. If anyone believed an UPFA victory at the forthcoming polls would change this government he or she was living in a fool’s paradise.

Q- uestion-The UNP has repeatedly accused the Rajapaksas of abusing the war on LTTE terror to boost its political image. Both UNP and JVP insist that the credit should go to the armed forces. What would you say if the LTTE had overwhelmed government security forces? Would you then pin the entire blame on the armed forces top brass?

A- Our armed forces had experienced both victories and defeats over the past two decades. But people never lost their faith in the armed forces. As military offensives were conducted under the directives of the government of the day, the final responsibility of the success and failure lie with the political leadership. He acknowledged that the armed forces received the required political leadership from the incumbent government.

Q- You have extensively attacked the government over its failure to manage the economy. You have also asserted that the country is on the verge of bankruptcy due to poor economic management? There is no doubt the country is struggling to cope with economic downturn. The IMF recently discussed plans for a global effort to overcome the deteriorating economic conditions. Almost all developed nations are experiencing difficulties. Those who advise smaller economies have been caught with their pants down. Would you like to comment on the global economic crisis.

A- Poor management of the economy had made the situation worse. Had the government’s economic pundits realised the impending global recession, the country could have prepared to face any eventually. Unfortunately it wasn’t the case. The government refused to pass down full benefits of sharp drop in prices of a range of commodities including fuel due to global economic downturn to the local consumers. In fact, the government ignored Supreme Court directive in this regard.

Q- The UNP has ignored many important issues and thereby allowed the government to have its own way. Why didn’t you challenge the government over its decision to release Minister Milroy Fernando’s wife serving a term of life imprisonment over a double murder? Why did you turn a blind eye to presidential pardon given to two convicted heroin smugglers to coincide with the international women’s day?

A- The party could have exploited the situation. We could have taken meaningful measures to highlight the blatant abuse of power. But unfortunately it wasn’t the case.

Q- How you like to describe a person who switches his or her political allegiance?

A- A deceiver and fraud whose one and only intention was personal gain at the expense of his voters.

Q- For how long could the LTTE retain what is left of its conventional military capability?

A- The LTTE never had a conventional fighting capacity in a real sense. But in the absence of a cohesive defence strategy and flawed assertion that their tactics were far superior to that of the armed forces, successive governments suffered setbacks. Although the LTTE was on the verge of collapse, its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran would remain in the minds of the Tamil speaking people as long as the root causes for the war remained. Only a reasonable political solution could end the bloodshed.

Q- Parliamentarians are a heavy burden on the taxpayer. Although the cost of Provincial Councillors is relatively lower, it is no secret all PC members aspire to enter Parliament. Pension rights, housing allowances, personal staff in which one is allowed to accommodate spouse and children and a range of other perks and privileges including heavily subsidised meals, free electricity and water. Despite escalating defence costs, the Rajapaksa administration has blatantly squandered funds on party men. Don’t you think, the UNP has failed to target the government over unparalleled waste in the public sector?

A- The UNP group in the WPC would act as a pressure group to fight corruption. Although both UNP and JVP have attacked the government over corruption in and outside parliament, more could have been done to reveal the extent of corruption.

Q- Do you ever believe that the government would be able to liberate all areas in the northern and eastern provinces inhabited by Muslims before the LTTE chased them during the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s administration?

A- The displaced could return to their villages once the government opened up areas liberated from LTTE control to civilians. The people would be grateful for facilitating their return.

Q- May be for the first time, the UNP has lost its ability to manipulate the media to its advantage. The President has cleverly exploited the media (outside the Lake House and state controlled television stations) for his benefit. The bottom line is that an influential section of the so called independent media had been bought over thereby leaving the UNP in the lurch. The majority of media men had switched sides for personal gain. Aren’t you worried about this situation.

A- We are worried about the freedom of expression. The government has denied the people of their right to know the truth by directing a campaign of terror at a section of the media. Those who had opposed the government had been silenced while those who wanted to survive follow the line. He acknowledged that like politicians, some journalists, too, would switch their allegiance to different political parties for personal gain.

Q- Did you have the opportunity to go through the Panditharatne report which discussed the reasons for UNP defeat at the April 2004 parliamentary elections.

A- I am aware of the issues but since the time and the situation had changed, it would be impossible to implement.