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Sajith says unfazed by challengers, focused on rebuilding country
View(s):By Prasanna Sanjeewa Tennakoon
With just one week to go before the 2024 presidential election, candidates are making their final pitches to voters as they vie for the opportunity to govern Sri Lanka for the next five years. The Sunday Times sister paper Irida Lankadeepa sat down with Opposition Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa this week to talk about his vision for the country and future plans should he emerge victorious.
Mr. Premadasa lost the 2019 presidential election to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Much has happened since then. Today, he is facing off against his one-time party leader, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, with National People’s Power (NPP) candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Namal Rajapaksa from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) are also among the leading candidates. So what makes Mr Premadasa different from the others? Here are excerpts of the interview: 
Q: There’s only a week to go before the presidential election. How do you feel?
Victory is assured.
Q: Why do you say that?
Because victory is assured.
Q: Who is your main challenger out of Ranil, Anura and Namal?
My challenge is to rebuild the country. None of those names pose any challenge to me.
Q: President Wickremesinghe says ‘Sajith can’t beat Anura Kumara.’ What do you say?
We’ll see by September 22. I am not politically naïve. I state clearly that my only aim is to rebuild and develop the country. We will implement the plans we made. Everything else is external. I am not prepared to respond to such childish talk.
Q: Some are saying that the momentum is with the compass symbol (of National People’s Power). What do you think?
The blessings of the majority of the country’s population are with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Samagi Jana Sandanaya (SJS). We represent the overwhelming majority of the country’s population, comprising all communities, religions and social strata. That’s why our victory is assured.
Q: Thalatha Athukorala who was with you went back to the UNP. She warned that a destructive anti-national force was emerging. What do you have to say about that statement?
I do believe that the country’s people will face another massive tragedy if we are unable to implement the vision which we have created. The people in our country are under immense difficulties and pressure. The people have become so poor that they are forced to get by on one meal a day.
That’s why I said that our greatest challenge is rebuilding the country. It is the SJB and the SJS that has the practical planning and vision to rebuild the country. If that is not implemented, the country will fall further into ruin. We need to forcefully emphasise that to the people.
Q: Some are saying that Ranil and Sajith should unite to rebuild the country. Is there any possibility of such an agreement? Any preparations toward that?
We don’t believe that the country’s problems can be resolved by changing or bringing together MPs in parliament. Our hope and our appeal to the people is not that. We appeal to the people to understand the gravity of the problem facing the country. We urge them to join hands with the SJB and SJS to bring about a better future and create a prosperous country for our children. There is no other alternative for the country.
Q: There is a view that if the path the country is on is suddenly changed, it could fall to an even worse position than it was in before?
There is no such view, but attempts are being made to create one. They are trying to create this view with the aim of preventing victories that the country will achieve. Don’t fall for that.
Q: But could it not happen if the system put in place by President Wickremesinghe is changed?
“What system has he put in place? Giving preferential treatment to millionaires, giving positions to the rich, initiating notorious, fraudulent transactions — is that what you mean by putting a system in place? It was our ‘Sakwala’ programme that brought about a system change. It was the ‘Husma’ programme that brought about a system change.
If any service was rendered to the vast majority of the country’s people over the past 76 years, it was done with the aid of state power. If any party managed to serve the downtrodden people without state power, it was us. Expanding thievery in the country is not what you can call ‘system change.’ What you should think about is, if we can render such service to the downtrodden people now, imagine what we can do with state power.
Q: How will you work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if you become president?
Your question is wrongly phrased. It is not a question of ‘if’ I would become president. I will definitely become president. We have also had discussions with the IMF and have arrived at an understanding.
Q: What is this understanding? What conditions do you hope to renegotiate with the IMF?
Generally speaking, we must enact essential reforms needed for the country. In doing that, we must also remove the unfair tax burden heaped upon the people. The current administration has held discussions with the IMF and heaped a majority of the tax burden upon the poor. There is no burden at all on the super rich. They have been afforded super facilities. They have done all that and told people they must make sacrifices.
If sacrifices must be made, they must first be made by the country’s leader. I will set that precedent. I will devote myself to rendering service to the people in a humane manner. When enacting those reforms, we will follow a social democratic model and adopt a middle path.
I don’t see these countries looking at any candidates and judging them on who is good or bad. They haven’t even spoken to us about such things. That is not what is important.
China, India and the US are the most powerful countries in the world. As leaders, we should look at how we can obtain the most use from these countries to serve the people of this country. I don’t care who is looking at who. What I want is to serve my country and my people. My policy is obtaining whatever assistance I can from these countries to that end.
Q: You agreed to the conditions put forward by the Tamil National Alliance in exchange for their support. What are those conditions?
You are asking me the same question that was asked of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019. There has been no change in our stance since 2019, so don’t ask the same, untrue thing.
Q: But did you not agree to give land and police powers to the provincial councils?
I have spoken before about the need to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. I will tell that today and tomorrow as well. We need to especially achieve reconciliation among the country’s races and religions. Isn’t the 13th Amendment in the law books or not?
We are bound to implement what is stated in the law. That is not harmful to the country’s unity. That has been affirmed through a Supreme Court ruling. Therefore, we are duty bound to implement it. I know that others are afraid to state this. I’m not. I will tell the correct thing as it is.
Q: What happens to the Central Bank Treasury Bond scam when you become president? Do you accept that there was fraud?
Yes.
Yes.
Not just the treasury bond scam. We will provide our utmost assistance to dispensing justice through a legal process that will be centred around the rule of law. It was also us that initiated the process of catching thieves while in the opposition. We were the ones who went to the Supreme Court to obtain the 4:1 verdict.
When it comes to those who bankrupted the country, we didn’t put on a fake show by carrying around files. We did the work. We also presented a private member’s bill on recovering stolen assets. We will implement that process. Moreover, we have never entered into a deal with any group for political gain. We won’t do so in the future either.
Q: When will you dissolve parliament after becoming president?
Let’s win the presidency first. Various persons will say different things. Some make various pronouncements without ever having read the Constitution. Those decisions will be taken at the correct time.
Q: Who will be your prime minister?
I must become president before doing anything else. I will definitely be president. I will also tell you that rather than asking who will be prime minister or this or that minister, you should ask me what solution I have for the tens of thousands who are currently suffering. Positions are unimportant.
I will be a volunteer president. I will be a president who will work without being a burden to the country. My motto is rather than preaching to others, I will lead by example to free the people from their suffering. That is my programme.
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