Posters and cutouts won’t decide the results of an election

By Lasantha Weerakulasooriya

Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education said that allegations made against Sarath Fonseka will be investigated after the presidential election on January 26, adding that promises made by Sarath Fonseka can never be met.

The second manifesto of the UPFA, which is a continuation of the Mahinda Chinthana, has been released. What are the new planks included in this manifesto?

The first and most important point mentioned in the 2005 manifesto was the elimination of terrorism. We have succeeded in fulfilling that. We are working towards meeting a number of other promises as well. The difference between the former Mahinda Chinthana and the new one is that, in the new one we have outlined development as our prerogative.

The opposition charges that you have presented a series of proposals in the new manifesto that are false, without working on the already mentioned promises in the old one?

Mangala Samaraweera has also has accused us of this. Meanwhile, he laid the foundation stone for the Hambanthota harbour when he held three ministerial posts but did nothing beyond that. We have made those things a reality without him. We have already started constructing the Matale airport. We have commenced the construction of five harbours. The dream that many governments had of puting up a harbour in Hambanthota, has now become a reality under President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Norochcholai power plant had been delayed by 15 years. It has been launched by President Rajapaksa. The UNP gave up work on the Ihala Kothmale power plant due to protests. But we have made it a reality today.
We have done a lot of work within the past four years. Based on the development we carried out under the first Mahinda Chinthana, we will continue with development in the second one as well.

Although the government says that general (rtd) Fonseka is making promises that can never be met, you too have come up with a bag of such promises in the new Mahinda Chinthana?

No, this is not a bag of promises. This is an active plan. Fonseka has “I will, I will” promises. But we don’t have such promises . What we are doing is only creating the background for doing the proposed work.
Considering the unemployment problem of youth, the construction of the five harbours will open up at least 50 000 direct employment opportunities. The people know that this is a reality. There will be about 30 000 indirect employment opportunities. The people are assured of 400 000 employment opportunities.
Sarath Fonseka’s manifesto is not logical. They are going to increase salaries of government servants with the money saved from eradicating corruption and waste. But, there’s no evidence of corruption or waste.

They calculate corruption and waste and say they can increase workers’ salaries by eradicating corruption and waste. How can they do that it if there hasn’t been any corruption?

Forget about corruption and fraud. State revenue has to be increased. Then they will have to increase taxes. When salaries are increased by Rs 10 000 after the increase of taxes, that will make way for inflation. Then when goods are purchased you will have to take a bag of money with you because inflation will be sky high.

Why has the government begun to accuse Sarath Fonseka of all kinds of wrondoing, all of a sudden?

One of the major proposals of the opposition is the abolition of the executive presidency. They accuse the government of corruption and fraud. But these allegations haven’t been proved. We challenge them to prove all these allegations.
But we have ample evidence of the opposition being involved in corruption. That’s why we presented it to parliament. We challenged them and asked them to engage in a debate. But they lied and did not turn up.

But there were no accusations against him when he was the army commander?

No corruption charges were levelled against the president until the presidential election was announced. On the other hand, it is only now that the truth about Sarath Fonseka is coming out.

Why don’t you take action against general Fonseka if he has done anything wrong?

We will have to consider that only after January 26. If we take action now, it will affect the election. We need to have a free and fair election. The ‘people’s court’ will give its judgment. Then we can follow it up and take the necessary steps.

It is reported that election violence has increased. An accusing finger is being pointed at the UPFA?

Some people level various charges against us. Four hundred complaints have been lodged against us with the police, but only 20 of them have accurate details. Where there are details the suspects have been arrested.
There are some areas where violence and corruption can’t be controlled regionally. One of our head offices in Polonnaruwa was attacked. An organizer was attacked and is now in hospital. One of our MPs have been attacked in Nikaweratiya.
Some people deliberately lodge false complaints just to increase the number of complaints against us. This is a well organized racket. All these things were already there when we made a change in 1994. The people clearly considered these things when they made the decision in 1994.

About not removing posters and cutouts and the state media being biased, not even the officers appointed by the elections commissioner can control things. These issues have become a problem to the elections commissioner?

No. The elections commissioner said that, because certain people had made statements targeting him. He may have had a problem about that. We said that we would support him. We said that we would work according to his instructions and according to election rules.
The IGP said that he would take steps to remove posters and cutouts.
What is more important than posters and cutouts is people using their intelligence. Even the president ordered the IGP to remove cutouts.
However, posters and cutouts aren’t going to decide the results of an election.

What do you think will happen at this election?

My calculations at the provincial council polls were correct. The president will win by more than 65% votes.