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Mahinda thumbs
up for crossovers
By Harinda Vidanage
Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday declared he was personally
in favour of the proposed conscience bill enabling members to vote
according to their wishes, without losing their seats in parliament.
Mr. Rajapakse
pointed out that the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and his own father
had crossed over on a conscience issue to form the SLFP and change
the course of Sri Lanka's history.
Excerpts:
Q: The SLFP appears to be divided over the ceasefire agreement.
What is the situation?
A: The SLFP is not against the peace process. But there is a
real fear of this leading to a separate state. We wants talks to
start soon as possible but we don't want an interim council for
the North-East before the talks.
Q: President Kumaratunga has been insisting she won't scuttle
the peace process, but some of her comments appear to be contradictory.
How do you read it?
A: We must never forget it was she who initiated the peace process
in 1994 with a ceasefire till April 1995. It was she who introduced
the August 2000 draft constitution which offered sweeping devolution
of power. She is all for peace but now she must be feeling left
out.
Q: You are planning a virodaya protest campaign from Thursday.
Will other parties like the JVP also be invited to join?
A: We need to maintain our own identity. The May 16 protest
is organised by the SLFP and other PA parties but it is open to
all.
Q: LSSP leader Batty Weerakoon has proposed a parliamentary committee
to oversee the ceasefire agreement. The Prime Minister also expressed
support for this but what happened to it?
A: We did meet with the Prime Minister and other parties to
discuss it. But the Tamil parties strongly objected on the basis
the LTTE would not like it. The SLFP would like to be part of the
monitoring rather than a postman or post box.
Q: Leaders of several parties have visited the North for talks
with the LTTE. Why did the PA not follow?
A: We saw no reason to.
Q: With the LTTE coming into the main stream do the PA organisers
in Jaffna feel threatened?
A: No major problem in Jaffna. But we have received one complaint
from the East.
Q: The UNF government is planning to introduce the conscience
bill. Will it affect the PA negatively and what is your view?
A : Personally I am for it. S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike and my father
crossed over on a conscience issue and changed the course of history.
I am not afraid of the consequences.
If 20 of our people crossover still we will be the opposition, but
if five of their people come to us we will not be sitting as the
opposition.
Q: A special meeting was held for all PA MPs in Nuwara Eliya
recently and you threw a cloak of secrecy over it. What happened
there?
A: This was done mainly to look back and think forward. Thus
all PA parliamentarians were asked to rethink their actions and
correct their mistakes. Even the president attended this and the
members pointed out her mistakes as well including her late arrivals.
She admitted her mistake. We came to consensus on our position relating
to the peace process.
Q: You spoke of a code of ethics for the party. Is this an urgent
need.
A: Yes. The PA members should share a sense of responsibility
to the party as well as the public. If one is outspoken the others
will follow but a code of ethics is vital in this aspect.
Q: Some critics ask why you waited so long to launch a protest
campaign.?
A: We wanted the people to see how the UNF is heaping burdens
through massive price hikes. Now the people will rally round us.
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