Veteran politician Vasudeva Nanayakkara appeared on the ‘Hot Seat’ programme and was as usual a firebrand personified. His scathing analysis of Ranil Wickremesinghe and his leadership was pure vintage Vasudeva! Here are some excerpts:
With everything that happened in the country in the past week and with social media been blocked to a certain degree. People tend to have forgotten or politicians think that the people have forgotten about the no-confidence motion against Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. What are your views on that?
That is precisely what was believed by these events. These events were always carried in its womb. The conspiracy to suppress, the hot events which could be threatening the people in power. Namely, the prime minister who was facing a vote of no confidence also who have become accountable about Arjuna Mahendran and his absence. So these matters have naturally become suppressed as a result of the events that came to pass in the form of a communal or religious or anti-Muslim violence.
In the past we have seen incidents like these happening in the country. When things like these happening in the past there was definitely a political involvement in it, especially if you take a look at the black July 1977-1978 period. You are also a political victim of that some call it, there are books written about it and if you take a look at a person who has been living at that time, who was a victim in that situation and if you take a look at what happened this time – the racial riot, what do you see? Are there similarities?
There are similarities, but in 1983 when it happened to be a riot against the Tamils in Colombo, and consequence arrives elsewhere, the head of state JR Jayawardena took advantage of it and let the people become preoccupied with those issues. When people were most concerned about their rights in the social and political spheres, he also used that In order to suppress the opposition; he diverted the attention of the public from the burning issues to the question of racial conflict. He also took advantage to take revenge on the opposition and our parties were banned overnight under emergency. It also seared our officers, stopped our purpose and we were ordered to be arrested. The situation was rather dizzy for us to allow anybody to take us into custody. Because of the racial fervor that was prevalent at that time which might have led some officers to harm our lives under the circumstances, therefore we decided to go underground and we remained underground and we defeated JR Jayawardena even in that score. He was unable to find out where we were or to have us arrested. Then came about the change of situation with the coming into been of the Mahajana Party Wijay Kumaratnunge and his position on the national question, his position on the communal question which was very enlightening and he became a popular leader, with that there was a strong current in the society towards a new political agenda. With which we decided to come out from the underground life that we led after nearly 8 months. And we submitted answers to the authorities, police recorded our statements, kept us in custody for some time and released us without even an apology.
Now this time too people seem to be agitated with the UNP. We saw this during the local government elections, the results proved that the people are definitely moving away from the UNP and they are looking at a new political angle. What are your views on this?
The people have said in sufficiently strong voice that this government must get out. The government carries a mandate from the people through the ballot. And the ballot has once given them mandate in 2015 and which mandate has been reviewed in the local government elections and the people have excised their franchise in order to tell this government to get out.
Sir now if you take a look at everything that has been happening, what the politicians have done is the exact opposite thing of what you just told us, they have not heeded to the mandate of the people in this country, but we also see a situation where they are trying to hold on to power, if you take a look at the UNP as an example, when this issue in Kandy cropped up we did not see the UNPers joining together in a manner where they join together to solve their leadership issue or the political crisis that they were facing. So when it comes to a situation among the general public, they treat it in one way. And when it comes to an issue where the party politics is involved they deal it in another way. So how will the country move forward with the political party that is acting in this manner?
There is no question the country moving forward. The country has been stagnating and this is now becoming a negative growth gradually. Though we have figures like 4% growth, they are statically true but if you look at the actual you will find that there is no growth in substance, in productive areas, in the fields of production growth, in productive services. I’m leaving the question of growth and statistics aside, but I must say that the question of party and the leadership have become an issue and it was a real serious situation for Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the UNP, how he could reserve that question, there’s a rebellion within. This communal or the religious clash helped him to at least temporarily shelve the question of the leadership issue and call upon his party to support him in order to bringing about stability in the country. So behind the cover of bringing stability in the country, he was able to stabilize himself in the leadership.
I want to focus the attention into another matter Mr. Nanayakkara, now we know that a cabinet reshuffle has taken place, we know that another cabinet reshuffle is due after the presidents arrival in the country from his overseas official visit. Now Mr. Nanayakkara cabinet reshuffle was not required by the people, people did not vote at the local government election for a cabinet reshuffle, did they?
No, cabinet reshuffle was a ruse adopted by the government in order to draw the attention of the public to a possible change in the governments directions. That is the impression or that is the message they want convey to the public and the public too got involved a bit about the reshuffle as a political event, but it became non-event (unclear).
Mr. Nanayakkara now the Ministry of law and order, we have seen several ministers coming and going, the recent was the PM Ranil Wickremesinghe taking over for two weeks and then immediately Mr. Ranjith Bandara taking over as the Minister of law and order. Now there were opinions expressed that Mr. Sarath Fonseka will be the minister of law and order. However, the UNP and the president has decided to appoint Mr. Ranjith Madduma Bandara. Now, the question is to the people of this country is whether law and order, the police and all of these law abiding agencies in the country, whether the people will be able to have confidence in them, have trust in the system? Can Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara put out?
You know the question of the individual or the person concerned is the question government as a whole has lost the peoples trust. The confidence the people placed in the government has been profited by the government by its conduct or misconduct, and therefore the question of changing persons and the orders of portfolios makes a little sense to the people in general.
With the local government election results and with the victory that the SLPP had in the local government elections, what is going to happen at the local government level, SLFP did not amass any close to at least the third place, we saw the UNP coming third place, the TNA also receiving votes, but what is going to happen to the votes and the people who voted?
Local bodies will find their own way to function and to raise their own leadership. They need to come into combination where they are in more than 51%, then we naturally have an easy way to appoint our leadership, where we don’t have 51% we will have to come into arrangements and agreements with others. And we also have to submit our support accordingly in a reciprocal basis to the others to take leadership. In this matter I think we feel strongly about close affinity to the SLFP members who are elected.
So basically, what you are saying is you are willing to open up your arms to the SLFP?
I think we have already done that at that ground level
When it comes to power up, when it comes to establishing or forming a government at the end of the day, an SLFP government, where do you stand?
Well, we will support it from the opposition.
You will be at the opposition?
Yes, as long as they will dismiss and only if they dismiss this government and Ranil Wickremesinghe
So basically without the UNP if the SLFP is willing to go forward as a government, you will support?
We will certainly extend our support from the opposition from an oppositional position of support.
If I may ask, why the opposition?
Because we have our own reservations about the government, but we have the urgent need to dismiss this prime minister and his government. At the same time, we have not coming into full agreement with the rest who are going to form the government. Therefore we will have to watch our step and keep monitoring what they are doing, but support them as against Ranil Wickremesinghe, because Ranil will be in the opposition, support the government as against Ranil, but at the same time be critical where it necessary, be monitoring what will be going on under a such government from the opposition. We will certainly not hesitate to extend our support whenever and wherever the steps to be taken by a future government, will find compatibility with our thinking.
So any reason the Prime Minister of the country should step down?
He should step down – his policies which have harmed this country and the people
What about Mr. Nanayakkara individuals who are close to the prime minister, who the people of this country are accusing for taking decisions, for the CCEM. Members who are very close to the prime minister are taking decision regarding the country, we know the names, I do not want to mention it here, but people like that, just because the prime minister steps down, will it solve the problem?
Well that is the beginning of the story; we will have to watch where we go from there onwards.
