UNP candidate for Colombo District Karunasena Kodituwakku in an interview with Lakbima News refuted the allegations that the UNP list has only a few Buddhists but says that the UNP is confident of winning the election..
You can see a Sinhalese -Buddhist majority in the list that has been presented from the government and the opposition for the General Elections. Yet, this is not the case regarding the UNP. How do you see this?
We have presented a majority of Sinhala-Buddhist candidates. There are even Catholics and Muslims in the candidate list of the government. If you talk about me, I’m a Sinhala-Buddhist. If you analyze the details, both parties have Sinhala-Buddhists. There are fifteen Sinhala-Buddhists in the list of UNP candidates from the Colombo District.
If you look at the candidates in coming General Elections, you will see only a small number of educated and intelligent people. It is apparent that they are incapable of at least presenting a new act to the parliament or to discuss flaws of such. Is it a positive development?
This situation has been created on the basis of winning ministerial posts. When we talk about D.S or Srimavo, they had no education to the highest standards, yet they had experience and disciplines.
However there are professionals when we take the overall list of UNP candidates. There are also new people and even the L.L.B holders competing this elections.
But presenting only the intelligent candidates is not going to work. They have to win the General Elections. According to the present system, only the rich candidates are going to win. Even those who use thugs can win. With this situation, do you believe that intelligent people will be elected to the parliament
That is a true. The main aim of the proportional system was to elect a parliament which represents the interests of the majority.
The candidates who are not rich enough are beaten when they are pasting posters. This is pathetic.
Today the country moves forward as a Sinhala- Buddhist identity. The present government gets the majority from rural areas; or where there is a Sinhala- Buddhist majority. Don’t you think that the place for minorities is getting restricted?
According to the proportional system, each community is being represented in the parliament. Not only the Tamils and Muslims but also those who have Indian linkages are also getting elected to the parliament. Sometimes, they represent even more than the percentage of their community. But, they cannot get a majority under the proportional system. Thus, it seems that they are misusing their power by bargaining.
We cannot say that the minorities have no representation in the parliament. But they cannot enter into the executive directly.
The constitution of Sri Lanka doesn’t say that it is a Sinhala-Buddhist country. Yet, it happens to be a total Sinhala-Buddhist country. The UNP has taken no step to regulate this situation.
Our country has a place for Buddhism. Today, with the democratic rights, the religion gets no special place. The government has the responsibility of protecting Buddhism. It is also mentioned in the constitution. The Central Cultural Fund was set up to protect the heritage of Sri Lanka. It doesn’t mean that the other religions are not-respected.
The government is getting ready to get a two third’s majority. Is it a positive development?
Not only for the present government, we must not give two third’s majority even for the UNP. Our leaders got two thirds majority three times in the past. Therefore, I adhere to the view that nobody should be given a two third’s majority. The constitution must be amended with the help of the opposition. Both the government and opposition MPs voted for 17th amendment to the constitution. Two hundred and twenty four members of parliament voted for that amendment. If we do constitutional amendments, it must be done in a manner in which both the government and opposition can conform.
The opposition shows the pro western or pro minority leanings. How can UNP face this situation? Is there any chance for the UNP to be a Sinhala-Buddhist identity?
Today the media of this country is being manipulated by the government. It is the Dallas agenda which categorizes us as the pro- western. UNP had relations with Japan and Korea after 1977. The largest partner of the development that took place after 1977 was none other than Japan and not the West. Japan has invested hugely in this island. Before that, we had relations with the commonwealth countries. The pro- western label was only forcibly pasted.
The Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated consecutively in elections. Also over 40 prominent MPs who won elections form the UNP are now in the government. How do you re-establish the UNP with this situation?
Today it has become a trend to leave a party when it is in the opposition. When some politicians try to do social work, the others try to be selfish. For some people, politics is an investment. For the others, it is an equipment. It is also a political ornament to another group of people. This situation has been created as there are people who use politics as an investment. They abandon the party when there is no power.
It is no wonder that some people abandon the party looking for better opportunities. They will come back with a U turn if UNP comes to power again.
