Wi ll mu ster 200,000 Ta mil v otes 2014-12-15 The Democratic People’s Front had already announced its support or the common opposition candidate !aithripala "irisena at the #anuary Presidential $lection% &n a 'ide ran(in( intervie' 'ith the DailymirrorDPF leader !ano )anesan claimed that the Ta mils may not support President !ahinda *a+apasa as he had ailed to chan(e the mindset othe ma+ority community ollo'in( the end othe 'ar% $cerpts.
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could 7e the reason that this (ovt% ailed to 'in votes in predominant Tamil areas lie
orth unlie other areas3
& have told this 7eore% & am tellin( it a(ain here% Durin( the 'ar times, the (overnment
politically created a 'ar psyche in the country, 7rou(ht to(ether the (roups those
7elieved in a military solution to the national :uestion and assem7led a 'ar team to 'inthe 'ar% @ course it helped the (overnment to 'in the 'ar%
6ut it ailed to deuse the 'ar psyche or eep those 'ar mon(erin( (roups at a distance
and disassem7le the 'ar team durin( this current era o reconciliation%
Aou can’t use the same team and attitude or 7oth 'ar and peace%
Aou have to deuse the arro(ance o a victor% Aou did not conduct the 'ar 'ith an alien
enemy country% Tamils, particularly the civilians o the orthern and the $astern
Provinces are not aliens% There can’t 7e victors and losers here% & am not underminin(the national security here% &t is important% Aou have the security orces% & am a patriot% &
love our security orces% /s the (overnment, you can support and provide them 7etter
acilities and the 7est e:uipment% 6ut they are meant or 'ar% Aou should not deploy and
use them or civilian matters% Aou even ailed to transer or discontinue the tenure o the
orthern )overnor 'ho is a ormer military oicer%
"o it is in the $astern Province% 9ad the (overnment listened to recommendations to
appoint "inhala civil servants as (overnors o the orthern and $astern Provinces, the
situation today 'ould have 7een dierent%
&nstead the President continued the services o the ormer military oicer !a+% )en%
*td )%/% handrasiri and he is runnin( a parallel administration in the orthern
Province a(ainst hie !inister %% Wi(nes'aran’s administration, 'hich came into
oice throu(h a democratic election, conducted 7y the $lections ommissioner o this
country%
/nd also you are preparin( the so called development plans in olom7o and tain( them
to the orthern Province 7ypassin(, the same elected council o Wi(nes'aran%
These are a e' simple reasons 'hy the people may not vote or the President in
thepredominantTamil orth%
Aou al'ays spoe or the implementin( o the 88* recommendations% Do you
thin i the common candidate (ots elected, he 'ould implement those3
Aes, & call or the implementation o recommendations o the (overnment appointed
iolence that has to 7e inlicted in order to prevent a 'ron(, to prevent treason, to
prevent the 7reain( up o the country, the settin( up o ille(al (overnments, any
violence that has to 7e inlicted to prevent them, is le(itimate violence%
& have to accept le(itimate violence, 'hen it arises and 'hen the conditions necessitateit% 6ut the issues that have 7een raised are, that to'ards the end o the 'ar there had
7een deli7erate illin(s o innocent civilians and this must 7e investi(ated% & am ully
'ith it and tain( appropriate action%
Do you a(ree 'ith it 7ein( investi(ated 7y the international community3
o% What does the international community have to do 'ith it3 &nternational
community has nothin( to do 'ith our country% @ur country’s investi(ations have to 7e
done 7y us% & some7ody says this commission 'hich is investi(atin(, is alle(edviolations is not credi7le, let them come out 'ith it and say this is not credi7le or the
ollo'in( reasons%
9o' 'as the 88* not credi7le3 9o' 'as the 88* hailed as somethin( very 'ise
and (reat and it 'as commended 7y every7ody% 6ut 'hy is this distrust in the
(overnment in the matter o the other commissions3
6ecause it 'as the (overnment thatEEEEEEE
ot the (overnment 7ut some sections o the armed orces 'ho too the la' into
their o'n hands%
Why should & 7ecome responsi7le or that3 & should tae action a(ainst them% & & didn’t
tae action a(ainst them then & am responsi7le%
"o 'hat you are sayin( is that it is the /rmy that needs to 7e investi(ated into3
@ course, the /rmy oicials 'ho are responsi7le and 'ho are alle(ed to havedone those violations and 'ho are alle(ed to have committed those atrocities%
&nvesti(ate them, certainly, ind them out and then deal 'ith them%
"o you are sayin( the (overnment didn’t have any hand in a(reein( to this3
/7solutely not% ot the (overnment% When & say the (overnment, not the
They 'ant to a7olish the $ecutive Presidency properly3
Finish it%
/ ma+or part o your political career has 7een as a voice in the opposition% Aou
have 7een someone 'ho spoe a7out corruption% Aou did say that some o the
corruption has 7een 7rou(ht to +ustice 7ut most o it that people tal a7out is
corruption 'ithin the (overnment a7out 'hich nothin( is done% Why have you not raised
your voice a(ainst this3
First 'e need to mae the ommissioner 'ho loos into 6ri7ery independent%
The commissioner is not independent3
9e is not independent, thou(h he is called independent% 9e must 7e elected 7y theParliament, 7y a consortium o respective leaders o the political parties% & 7elieve in
that% "o should the /uditor )eneral 7e, so should the #ud(es o the "upreme ourt 7e
appointed%
They should 7e elected 7y a collective o the leaders in Parliament, 7y a consensus 'ith
the "peaer as the ar7iter% Aou can, sometimes, never reach unanimity, then consensus%
Then there must 7e someone to determine 'hat consensus is and that should 7e the
"peaer%
The (overnment has 7een increasin( the orei(n loans% &nrastructure pro+ects are
all on 7orro'ed monies% /s a 8etist leader 'hat is your opinion on this3
/s lon( as 'e have suicient assets to 7ac the loansEE%
Do 'e have suicient assets to 7ac the loans3
Aes% /ll that has 7een created, 7uilt and constructed are the assets, 'hich 7aced
it%
6ut most o these assets, or eample the 9am7antotat 9a7our EEEE
9am7antota har7our on a (oin( maret today is 'orth thrice 'hat it 'as 7ecause
o the num7er o ships that are callin( no'% 6ecause it is so strate(ic, that you
can’t 7uy it or money% &t is strate(ic 7ecause it is close to the international sea lanes%
When it comes to the orthern Province there is a massive plot o land that is 7ein(
taen over3
@ yes, ,000 acres% &n a very thicly populated area, denyin( the people their ri(ht to
their land%
"o 'hen it comes to the ac:uisition 7y the (overnment3
Which is also 'ron(% Whenever it is necessary and important or a pu7lic
purpose, then only you can ac:uire land%
6ut they ac:uire land sayin( that it is or development3
& no'% 6ut & don’t see any development% & don’t a(ree 'ith the (overnment or the
ac:uisitions either% ot all ac:uisitions 7ut some%
What is the ac:uisition that you don’t a(ree 'ith3
Those ,000 acres%
/nd "ampur3
"ampur no% "ampur 'e need the po'er plant%
What a7out the ac:uisitions that are happenin( in olom7o3 The lo' income
slum areas3They are 7ein( (iven alternative housin(%
"o you are o 'ith the procedure3
o% it should have 7een done 'ith more inesse and 7etter procedural order% &t
'as handled in a militaristic 'ay%
Do you thin the country is (oin( in a militaristic 'ay3
o% immediately ater a 'ar 'e 'ill have the echo o the armed culture in the
country, 7ut that doesn’t mean 'e are (oin( in the direction o a military po'er%We are deployin( our armed orces in construction and development% That doesn’t mean
'e are (oin( to militarise%
When you tal a7out the military, 'hat a7out the army camps that are there in the
orthern Province3
There are too many and too many soldiers da77lin( 'ith civil administration% Too
much o military involvement in a civil administration% There is too much occupation o
pu7lic space 7y the personnel o the armed orces% 6ut they are (ettin( on 'ell% Aou can
trust me% When you (o up there you 'ill ind sections o the armed orces and sections
o people are (ettin( on 'ell%
6ut that doesn’t +ustiy the (eneral pattern o intererence in the civil administration%
"o you thin the army camps in the orth should 7e reduced3
The army camps and personnel can 7e in proportion to the population, lie in
other areas o the country 'ith some special intelli(ence units to 'atch out or
any anti-social or 8TT$-related activities%
Aou are ormin( a coalition 'ith the (overnmentEE%
We ormed this (overnment% We ormed the PF/%
Aes, you ormin( the coalition 'ith the (overnment literally crippled the 8etist
parties% 9as your +ourney so ar 7een 'orth it3
& the #P 'ill also +oin 'hat 'e are doin( 'e 'ill have a solid say in the
(overnment and tae the (overnment eactly 'here 'e 'ant it to (o%
Where is that3
That is reachin( the end o the Presidential po'er, :uicer than later% Then (ivin(
seven perches o land to the plantation 'orers, then removin( some ecessivenum7ers o soldiers stayin( in the orth, (ivin( 7ac all the lands to the people in the
north% /ll these 'ould have 7een achieved i only the #P instead o politicin( 'ould
have come to su7stantive 'or 'ithin the PF/% /nd 'e could have 'on a7out 50
seats in the Parliamentary elections and 'ould have decided everythin(% There could
have 7een no PF/ 'ithout the let, 7ut no' they can%
The demands that you have made-i the (overnment doesn’t eep to the promises
then 'hat 'ould you do3
We 'ould stru((le 'ith the people 'ho are 7ehind the PF/%
When you say you 'ill stru((le or this, do you mean you 'ould 7rin( it to the
streets3
Aes, the streets too% )eneral stries, strie action, demonstrations and even
Aou said you 'ere supportin( the President to (ain the ri(hts that 'e have, the
ri(hts o the people3 What maes you thin that you can achieve this3 Aou said
that he 'as the only leader that could achieve this3
!ahinda is only the pivot o our orces% 9e is not the orces, he 'ill 'ell remem7er that%9e is only the representative pivot% The day he parts 'ays 'ith these orces, there 'ill
7e no !ahinda and !ahinda 'ill not 7e important%
&t seems lie the entire country, so 'hat maes you say that he is the pivot o the
orces3
The PF/ is made up o social, political orces and those orces had chosen him,
not that he 'as orced on us% We have chosen him% "o he is there only as lon( as 'e
choose him%
Do most o the people inside the PF/ a(ree 'ith him puttin( his amily there3
o
Then 'hy haven’t they raised their voice a(ainst it3
9is amily is all elected, ecept )ota7aya% /nd )ota7haya is 'ell :ualiied to 7e
the "ecretary o Deence or his eperience% What is 7ad is, say & have ive
7rothers 'ho are elected3
6ut & 'ould lie to distri7ute po'er more evenly 'ithin the a7inet and the
)overnment, not lettin( the concentration o po'er amon( my amily mem7ers% That is
'hat & 'ould say% The people in the movement, in the PF/ are more involved, are not
very concerned a7out these cultural matters, such as nepotism%
The important thin( is that 'e are achievin( more o social democratic reorms,
demoractic reorms in the (overnance% 6ut the 7etter discretion should 7e as & said, to
not let po'er 7e concentrated even i they 'ere elected%
The people o the PF/ are more involved in the totality o the perspective and thetotality o the pro(ramme, rather than on one or the other% @n one they mi(ht disa(ree
7ut they yet remain on the totality o the pro(ramme%
/re there internal discussions in the PF/ a7out reducin( the num7er o
!inistries3
&n an alliance you have to (ive a portolio to every party%