21st November 1999

UNP confusing voters with policy of ambiguity

Virudda Paakshikaya makes an issue of the fact that I did not welcome the entry of Sarath Amunugama, Wijeyapala Mendis, Nanda Mathew, Susil Moonesinghe and others into the Peoples' Alliance and I daresay that Virudda Paakshikaya is correct in his assumption.

I for one, as a senior and 'true blue' SLFPer who has always been loyal to his party believe that even in the game of politics where there are supposedly no permanent friends or enemies and only permanent interests, there should be permanent principles.

In these pages itself I have been critical of Mr. Mendis, though he escaped civic disability through a fortunate legal loophole. Therefore, Virudda Paakshikaya, I cannot now change my opinion of him – or of Mr. Mathew or Mr. Moonesinghe or Dr. Amunugama – for the sake of political expediency.

I am one who believes that such rolling stones gather no moss – in fact, they roll away into political oblivion. Just take a look at Ronald Joseph Godfrey de Mel and Anura Priyadarshi Bandaranaike in your ranks now – they would have made great cabinet ministers in an SLFP government but they are now languishing in the opposition, paying for the sin of not being patient and erring in their judgement.

I believe the same will hold true for the likes of Dr. Amunugama, Mr. Mendis, Mr. Mathew and Co., for I do believe that they will be given what is called the 'Karapincha' treatment – used and discarded – by the SLFP.

I say so because I know that the entry of these personalities into the PA has caused a lot of heartburn among SLFPers who now have to sit on the same platform with UNPers who were their arch rivals at a local level.

Now, Virudda Paakshikaya, you — and our readers — might well wonder why I am so critical about the entry of these persons to the PA. There is a good reason for that which is that Ms. Kumaratunga would have won the election anyway – she does not need the help of the Amunugamas, Mendises and Mathews to win the presidential poll and that is why I am not so enthusiastic about this 'historic' defection.

But I must take issue with Virudda Paakshikaya on another matter — an attempt to say that the election will be rigged even before the campaign could get underway. Virudda Paakshikaya details what appears to be a grand plan by Samurdhi Niyamakas to intimidate opposition supporters and stuff ballot boxes – with counterfeit ballot papers allegedly printed at the Government Press! Well, Virudda Paakshikaya, either you have a very fertile imagination or all this precise knowledge can come only from experience!

But lest our readers are lulled into believing such nonsense, I must also put the record straight. Well, Virudda Paakshikaya, who are these Samurdhi Niyamakas? Aren't these the very people who staged protests at almost every major city, protesting against the government? If so, will the PA be naive enough to entrust them with the task of rigging an election?

No, Virudda Paakshikaya, there are no such tactics on the drawing boards and they certainly do not have the blessings of our leadership. We shall not stoop to such levels simply because we do not have to — Ms. Kumaratunga will emerge a clear winner despite there being a dozen other choices in the fray. Consider, my friend, the results of the opinion poll, which were published in The Sunday Times last week. For a vast majority of the questions, the answers were in favour of the PA and President Kumaratunga.

I will concede one point – that the PA's record of governance falls short of expectations. But then, Virudda Paakshikaya, that is true with any government, after five years in office. But the naked truth is that even if that is so, the UNP's record as an opposition party is even more dismal. It has been wrecked by internal divisions, there is a serious challenge to its leadership and it is still vague and indecisive about national issues — 'My pact with the People' notwithstanding. So, there is no good reason for people to decide to vote for the UNP, even if they may be dissatisfied with the performance of the PA!

Consider, Virudda Paakshikaya, what Ranil Wickremesinghe says about the ethnic question. When asked what his solution is, he says "there is no point in giving my solution because others will not agree; so, we have to discuss and decide…" Surely, Virudda Paakshikaya, that is as vague as you can get!

Any person with average intelligence knows that he cannot implement what he wants but is he offering any workable solution in his manifesto? Lifting the ban on the LTTE, talking to it, and include it in an interim council for the north and east, are some of his answers. But all these are nothing new, as our bitter experience with the LTTE would show.

And what does he say about the Presidency? On the one hand he says he is ready to give support to President Kumaratunga to obtain a two-thirds majority and abolish the executive presidency and then he also says it should be modified and retained. Surely, Virudda Paakshikaya, people are confused with all this and they are not going to vote for a person who does not give them straight answers!

And that is why all this hi-tech gadgetry and yuppie-style campaigning will be of no use, Virudda Paakshikaya. The more the UNP resorts to that type of tactic, the more alienated Mr. Wickremesinghe will become from our voters. Surely Virudda Paakshikaya doesn't your leader realise that wearing denims, speaking in English and using computers – which appear to be your campaign slogans – do not have any relevance to the majority of our voters who live in rural areas where there is even no electricity!

Do you realise now, Virudda Paakshikaya why Mr. Wickremesinghe will lose the next election? It is not because of Samurdhi Niyamakas stuffing ballot boxes, my friend. It is because of your own inefficiency and your own misperception of the public mood. So, my friend, if you are advising your leader on December 22 and looking for reasons as to why he lost you could ask him to do just one thing - go and stand in front of a mirror!

Inside the glass house

Editorial/ Opinion Contents