Q. At Mohamed Muzammil’s gathering for Colombo district UNPers held recently, everybody had been appreciative of the fact that you finally managed to get the much talked of UNP led alliance together. Are you satisfied with what you have been able to achieve in that respect?

A. Yes, very much so. It took nearly 18 months of negotiations to finally formalize this alliance. Coalition politics is not a new phenomenon in this country, especially for the SLFP, which has engaged in alliance politics since the inception. But this is the first time the UNP has come into a formal alliance. That is why there were some reservations initially, but we managed to overcome all that and have now formed what is perhaps the strongest political alliance ever in this country. Only time will prove whether that is a correct assessment or not.

Q. There is a difference between this alliance and the one your were instrumental in forming in 1994, because at time, you had Chandrika Kumaratunga as a clear leader, who was going to led you at all elections. But this time you have formed an alliance where the leader of the alliance may not led you at elections.

A. In 1991, the SLFP was a battered party which had suffered successive electoral defeats since 1977. We had been in opposition for nearly 14 years, and there was a lot of infighting within the SLFP. At that time SLFPers had even given up hope of a future SLFP government. Despite all the gloom, we formed this alliance with the Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party, the LSSP and the CP, all three didn’t have any members of parliament, but the formation of the alliance energized the SLFP. When we went for the 1994 election, it was Mrs Bandaranaike who was the leader of the alliance. It was only after we came into power in 1994, that the presidential candidate was named. Until that time, Mrs Bandaranaike gave leadership to the alliance.

Q. When we look back at that period , we see that Chandrika Kumaratunga was the main figure in that alliance. It was around her that the alliance was formed.

A. I have to correct that. CBK came back to Sri Lanka in 1991, and that hastened the formation of the alliance and energized the opposition forces. But initially the alliance was formed around Mrs Bandaranaike. In the first political committee formed in the PA, CBK had only a minor role. It was later that she became the foal point of the alliance.

Q. But didn’t you have it at the back of your mind that CBK should be leading the alliance?

A. Certainly. It was Mrs B herself who told me and SB to speak to Chandrika and to facilitate her return to the party.

Q. The point is that we don’t see a similar thing in this present UNP-led alliance.

A. I don’t think one can ever repeat history. The circumstances are now different. But of course there is a leadership. Ranil Wickremesinghe is providing a very constructive leadership. We have a collective leadership in the alliance. We have proven and capable leaders like Mr Rauff Hakeem, and Mano Ganesan. I also provide leadership at my level. The fact that we have formed this alliance with the strongest single political party makes this alliance much stronger than the alliances we have had before.

Q. In 1993, the UNP had a stop-gap leader in the form of president D.B.Wijetunga. Despite this, a decision was made very early on, that he would be the next presidential candidate of the UNP. Today, despite the fact that an alliance has been formed, we still don’t see a clear presidential candidate.

A. Why go by the premise that it has to be the leader that has to be the presidential candidate? All political parties have a right to change their strategies from time to time. The fact the leader of the alliance may not contest the next presidential election will not make him less of a leader. That is a strategic decision which we as the United National Front, has the right to take. Our final objective is to defeat the incumbent president, who is dragging this country to the point of no return.

Q. If it’s not going to be the UNP leader who will be contesting, where does the focus lie at the moment?

A. Our position is that we will respond to that only when president Rajapaksa actually signs the proclamation calling for a presidential election. Earlier it was announced with great fanfare that a proclamation with regard to the election would be made at the SLFP convention to be held on the 15th. Now the 15th has come and gone and we are still waiting for this announcement. When the president makes the proclamation, we well tell the world who our candidate is going to be.

Q. There’s only one other potential contender – General Sarath Fonseka.

A. General Sarath Fonseka has been mentioned in the newspapers as a potential common candidate. We as the UNF has stated that we are open to all ideas and we are open to the idea of fielding a common candidate. But that will have to be decided, finalized and announced only after the president makes the proclamation calling for a presidential election.

Q. Are you personally for the fielding of a common candidate with the JVP, UNP and all other opposition parties?

A. Yes, very much so. I feel that the time has come for all democratic forces to come together to defeat president Mahinda Rajapaksa who has proven during the past few years that he is not capable of upholding the democratic system, improving the state of the economy or tackling the unprecedented corruption. Sri Lanka needs a change and in order to effect that change, a common candidate will be a major step forward.

Q. In a scenario, where the UNP and the JVP both support general Sarath Fonseka, we all know that once the campaign starts, it won’t be a case of the UNP leading and the JVP following but the other way about – the JVP will lead the campaign and the UNP will follow.

A. No that will not be so. There will be a common campaign. As the main opposition party in this country, the UNF will play a leading role. We will all pool our resources, our energies and our people. It won’t be a case of who leads and who follows.

Q. In 2005, the JVP played a huge role in getting Mahinda Rajapaksa elected. The JVP led the campaign and the SLFP followed. Because they are a cadre based party, they can project themselves to a much greater extent in a campaign than the conventional parties.

A. With all due humility, I can say that I, and a few other SLFPers played an equally active role in the election of Mahinda Rajapaksa. But as you say, the very nature of the JVP and their organizational skills, makes the JVP an invaluable partner in any campaign for any party. Knowing the value of the JVP, president Mahinda Rajapaksa is terrified of this alliance and is going out of the way to create a fear about this alliance. Having worked with the JVP on and off for many years, I know it will be a very fruitful and successful relationship. They certainly won’t try to dominate us or lead us.

Q. If a non-politician is brought in as the common candidate, don’t you think he should at least be a member of the main opposition party?

A. There are pros and cons with regard to that. But my personal view is that the presidential candidate of the opposition will have a limited agenda. The prime objective would be to abolish the executive presidency within a stipulated period of time. We need someone who can carry this out, without the pressure of a political party behind him. An individual candidate who has no party behind him will be the best placed to carry out this agenda.

Q. Do you think it’s fair on the part of the UNF to ask general Fonseka who has given up so much in terms of power and privileges to come forward as the presidential candidate, to carry out such a limited agenda?

A. If general Fonseka or any other person is invited to be the common candidate of the opposition, the decision whether it is fair or not, has to be taken by that person. The country needs a person who will have the courage of his convictions to sacrifice his own ego, to bring back democracy to this country.

Q. If you have a non-politician elected to that position through the efforts and votes of the alliance, you really don’t have any guarantee that he will stick to his side of the bargain.

A. Once he becomes executive president he can tell us to go fly a kite. But in order to do so, one must have a support base in parliament. He will have to have a strong political party backing him, which a common candidate will not have. This is the guarantee that we will have.

Q. Don’t you think it’ll be better to play safe and have the UNP leader himself contesting, because then you will have this guarantee.

A. Once you have a leader of a mainline political party in power, the pressure on him to disregard some of his promises and continue, will be very great. The probability of general Fonseka or any other common candidate abolishing the executive presidency, especially if there is a strong democratic safety net around him, will be much greater. In this respect we can rely more on a common candidate than on a leader of a mainstream political party.

Q. What happens to the common candidate after the prime ministerial form of government is re-established through him?