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Right of reply

Anura slams Mahinda's remarks as lies
Anura Bandaranaike, Minister of Industry, Tourism & Investment Promotion and Senior Advisor to the President, has sent us the following right of reply in response to The Sunday Times' interview last week with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. We also publish below the relevant section from the Premier's interview.

Mr. Bandaranaike in his letter to The Sunday Times editor says:
"Dear Mr. Editor, "The Sunday Times of August 1st, 2004, carries on Page 8, a lengthy interview with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, by Rajpal Abeynayake.

It is patently clear that your management has decided to black me out from your newspapers, and give maximum publicity to Mr. Rajapakse, which is considered by many as an over-kill. As Mr. Rajapakse mentions me by name in the said interview, I wish to make the following observations, which I hope you will carry in the next Sunday Times, if there is a modicum of fairness left in the instructions of your management.

(1) Mr. Rajapakse says, "I never planned to be the Leader of the Opposition but it happened." This statement is completely untrue. This post did not fall on his lap from heaven and he campaigned vigorously amongst the MPs, and, in fact, told me on the lawns of the President's House, that if I help him to be the Leader of the Opposition, he will help me to become the next Prime Minister. I laughed at his offer with scorn as I knew that he never had the slightest intention of doing so.

(2) The Pada Yathra he talks of so much about was organized by me as Chairman, Mr. Rajapakse as Secretary and with a host of key party persons, who did their utmost to make it a grand success, all the way from Colombo to Kataragama. I handled the most difficult nitty gritty of the organization with our party organizers, whilst Mr. Rajapakse did all the walking. "I started the Pada Yathra to put Anura on top. But unfortunately he…" prompted and ably assisted by Mr. Abeynayake, Mr. Rajapakse goes on to say "he disappointed us." "As it happens my base grows automatically and what can I do about it? (laughs)" This is another lie. The Pada Yathra was not meant to put me on top; it was a mass agitation against Mr. R. Premadasa's tyrannical rule. H.E. the President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, only a political activist then, will remember how Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse abused her in choice language and chased her out of the stage at Uyanwatte, Matara, in the presence of thousands of people. Fortunately, I did not attend this meeting, otherwise I would have been the culprit.

(3) Mr. Rajapakse has no reason to be disappointed at all, as he did absolutely nothing to stop the vicious machinations of S.B. Dissanayake and others, to suspend my membership from the SLFP in 1992. I was suspended without any reason nor calling for explanation, which is in the party constitution. How can Mr. Rajapakse boast that his base has grown automatically when the JVP's strongest area is his hometown at Hambantota? A lot of people have short memories. If I had not initiated the JVP alliance, the UNP would still be in power, Mahinda Rajapakse would never have become Prime Minister and none of us would have been Cabinet Ministers!

(4) The Moghuls of the private media cannot choose our next presidential candidate. If the President succeeds in changing the constitution, there will be no elections for President. If she does not succeed in changing the Constitution she will, as President, in consultation with the SLFP, the JVP, the MEP, Mrs. Ashroff's NUA and other members of the Alliance, choose the candidate who is best able to defeat the UNP.

(5) The more the private media promotes a candidate for the Presidency it does irreparable damage to that individual! In 1956, the entire media castigated my father mercilessly, both politically and personally, and he won that election by a roller coaster victory! The same thing happened again in 1960 when my mother entered politics. She was abused, vilified by the media at the lowest levels, yet she became the world's first woman Prime Minister!

(6) A word of advice to my 'friends' in the private media is to turn your energies into finding a presidential candidate for the UNP, who is a winner and not an all-time loser, rather than trying to do the impossible by trying to choose our candidate.

(7) A constant over exposure in the press, contrived smiles, carrying babies and making pronouncements on every matter under the sun, has given a clear impression to this Nation, that the pro-UNP private media have already done immense damage to their 'chosen one'!!"

What the Premier said...
Q: You are building your base very fast and people are getting the impression Rajapakse will be the next President or next Presidential candidate at least. You have had lot of interaction with the press recently, so is there a master plan?
A: There is no plan (laughs) but that is my way. I never planned to be the leader of the Opposition but it happened. My policy is the service I have done from the 70s. From the Pada Yatras to all the other agitation. I started the Pada Yatras to put Anura on top. But unfortunately he..

Q: Disappointed you?…..
A: He disappointed us. So I'm doing this for the party. As it happens my base grows automatically - - what can I do about it (laughs.)The other thing is about the minorities. Say in police stations when they complain there are no Tamil officers to take it down. We need to either recruit Tamils to fill this void or train Sinhalese to take complaints in Tamil. We must see that justice is done.

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