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Cross section of crossovers
In this season of crossovers, among those who changed allegiance are the sons of two well-known politicians. Navin Dissanayake, son of the late Gamini Dissanayake, who served as the Minister of Public Management Reforms in the Mahinda Rajapaksa Govt., till recently, quit and pledged his support to Maithripala Sirisena. Few days later, Opposition Leader of the North Central Provincial Council UNP Provincial Councillor Kingsley Nelson said he was quitting and would back the incumbent President in his re-election bid. He is the son of a veteran UNP politician from Polonnaruwa, late H.G.P. Nelson who served as UNP District Minister for Trincomalee in the late 1970-1980 period. The Sunday Times spoke to the two politicians on their decision to change sides ahead of a crucial election.
President Mahinda Rajapakse addresses a rally in Akkaraipattu
Following are excerpts of the interviews:-
Navin Dissanayake: This system is sickening and needs to be changed
-Why did you quit the Government at this juncture?
It was a decision I took with my heart and mind. I had been thinking about it for a long time and felt the time was right. The dilution of power of the Cabinet of Ministers is excessive. In a Cabinet of 55, at least 35 do not have many ministerial functions and duties. Also, the call to abolish the executive presidency was a very powerful call. My father (Gamini Dissanayake) and the late Lalith Athulathmudali pioneered the whole idea of scrapping the executive presidency in the early 1990s. My ethos and my thinking are very much aligned with that thinking. 
- Are you saying your hands were tied even though you were a Cabinet Minister?
There are some 20-odd namesake Cabinet ministers with no defined duties and functions. My ministry was called the Ministry of Public Management Reforms which sounds very nice, but all the relevant institutions were gazetted under the Ministry of Public Administration. How can I do reforms when all the institutions come under another minister. There are quite a lot of ministers like that who have no work as ministers.
- Is there widespread discontent within the Government?
Definitely. I can assure you of that. There are many Cabinet ministers who are basically bluffing now. They are not working for the President and he knows that. They are not putting their full efforts behind the President, because they too want the system defeated. They are silent and not cooperating with the Government. Maybe, a handful of ministers still believe in the President.
- You crossed over from the UNP to the UPFA saying you needed to support the war? Since the end of the war, where do you feel things started going wrong?
Things started going wrong around 2011, when I felt a change in the President’s attitude. That’s when I felt the unethical elements build up around the executive presidency. I have been in and out of president’s houses and office, and I have never seen a deterioration of morality like this. Then the family show began. The President cannot disentangle himself from this. He is very much part of the system he created, and the system is consuming him.
- Hasn’t all this crossover business damaged the image of politicians more than ever, in the eyes of the public?
The public have a very low regard for politicians. When they see the ostentatious lifestyle of politicians, they are disgusted. This system is sickening and needs to be changed.
Kingsley Nelson: Mr Sirisena‘s candidature will destroy the UNP
- Why did you leave the UNP?
I took the decision after November 21, when UNP members were informed of the Party’s Executive committee’s support for Maithripala Sirisena as the Opposition’s candidate to challenge the incumbent President. I was deeply disturbed by this decision which was not taken with any 
discussion with the UNP members. Being politicians from the Polonnaruwa District which is also Mr Sirisena’s district, this development was far more disturbing. How can I, or any Party members in the district work for Mr Sirisena’s victory, after he has used his influence in the district for so many years, to destroy the UNP. At the 2010 presidential election, we had a vote base of 4.1 million which has increased by now. Had we fielded UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe or Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, we would have had a fighting chance against the President. Even if we lost, we would have lost with dignity.
- Don’t you think the Opposition has a better chance of winning by fielding Maithripala Sirisena?
By choosing Mr Sirisena to run against the President, grass-root UNP members have been left abandoned and deeply disheartened. How can we work for the victory of a man who has harassed UNP supporters for so many years? All our party work in the area was stifled by him and his supporters, and now we have to work for his victory. I cannot do that.
- How do people in the area feel about the campaign to scrap the executive presidency?
The campaign is focused on abolishing the executive presidency, but how can anyone believe this will be done. (Former President) Chandrika Kumaratunga went to the Dalada Maligawa and said she would do so, but did not. Mr Sirisena was with Ms Kumaratunga at the time, but he too did not make any attempt to force her to scrap the executive presidency. It is unlikely that, if he wins, he will do so either.
- Do you feel this UNP decision not to field its own candidate will be detrimental to the Party?
This decision to support Mr Sirisena‘s candidature will destroy the UNP. He will start a new party after the election and get the UNP members into it. Diehard UNP supporters will be sidelined by him. It’s hard to believe he will give any powers to Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, even if he says so now.
- Do you think you can work under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, given the many allegations levelled at the Government?
I have a lot of respect for the President for defeating the LTTE. It was people in our areas that suffered a great deal due to terrorism. I have conducted myself in a respectable manner throughout my political career. If I see things going wrong, I will speak up, whichever side I am on.