Here is the full text of the interview:by Nilantha Ilangamuwa with Thalatha Athukorala
Please let me first ask you for your relationship with the late Mr. Gamini Athukorala who was general secretary of the UNP?
He was my elder brother.
Do you entertain any suspicions on his untimely death?
Never….
Well; I would like to change our topic. What do you think of the last local government poll in Batticaloa?
We would be glad about the result if it had been free and fire.
Yes of Course! A few monitoring groups and media say it was free and fair. But why was the UNP abstaining from participation in the Election?
Our information confirms the real situation in the East. People are suffering while armed gangs are playing with the people’s blood. They are a government tool. How can we go into politics in these circumstances?
But, now we can see the historical significance of developments in the East. For the first time terrorist groups have come into mainstream politics and won an election democratically. It is the best incident in our history. I would like to know your opinion.
Of course we are glad about these developments in the East if they are as you say. Also we would like to see like developments in the whole country. But we want to see the real picture in the media. The social system will be getting worse if the media feed myths to the people as they presently do.
What is the guarantee that we have full democracy in the East? How many people are paying ransom every month to illegal armed groups? Why are people silent? Does the situation reflect democracy or fear of death?Others think we should not forget that it was Prime Minister Ranil Wickmasinghe and his strategies that divided the East and North of the LTTE. No one can deny the truth of this. Anyone who thanks the TMVP should also thank the UNP.
But the TMVP are always thanking President Rajapakse and not your party or its leader?
It’s the nature of politics – that we should promote any person or party that we are depending on.
Does it mean that the TMVP is always depending on the Government and the President?
I’m talking reality.
Well, what do you think of the current political developments in the South?
Fortunately we don’t hear of so many abductions in the last few weeks since Col. Karuna Amman was arrested in London. But unfortunately we also don’t know what happened to those people abducted in the last few months.
Economically the country has failed. The Government has been always depending only on the war and its propaganda for survival.
Even security in Colombo has been going from bad to terrible. All our people are living in fear of death. They suspect each other as terrorists. People can’t be going about with heavy bags in public transport. Why are we seeking after the Chinthanaya as something that will create good things for Sri Lanka? It’s a joke.
But… the Government says, the CFA was the reason for bomb blasts in civilian areas; that the CFA opened all doors for the terrorists to operate freely.
Many people have criticized the CFA. They think it was a bad deal with the LTTE. But ask yourself: why did the LTTE support Mahinda in the last presidential election? If Ranil has given to milk to them why did they reject Ranil? At one time the late Mr. Anton Balasingham called Ranil a first class crook. It shows how effective he was and that the reality of Ranil and his strategies is very different from the drama that some claim it to be.
I think you have forgotten my question
Is it not the LTTE that is responsible for the bombs blast in Colombo and other civilians areas? They blasted bombs before the CFA and again after the CFA when they started their war against Sri Lanka. Isn’t it abundantly clear that the CFA prevented bomb blasts? The UNP is the only party that has much experience dealing with the LTTE effectively and lost leaders because of the LTTE. We never dealt with the terrorists like jokers. We are dealing with them as a responsible political party and the State, not as another terrorists group. Yes… we are opening doors … that is not for bombs but for peace and unity.
Why are you thinking the present government has failed in dealing with the LTTE?
President Mahinda thinks the only problem is Prabhakaran, and that when he is caught or killed the problem is over. This war is not for liberating people. Its aim is simply to kill Prabhakaran. Now the theory turns on only one option to liberate Mahinda. Because he has to continue to fight and try to catch Prabhakaran.
But don’t you think it’s a good point because the LTTE is a centralized terrorist group unlike the Al Qaeda?
Of course that’s good if he can do it. But we are seeking to use the war for his political and selfish motivations. Meanwhile he totally forgets the basic reasons for this war. How can he find a sustainable solution without basic knowledge of the reasons for the war, forgetting history?
But why has your leader not met and shared his opinions with the President if your party is strongly opposed to the President’s policies?
It was happened after his invitation to our leader. Our leader did meet him as an opposition leader and not to support his agenda.
Do you think the UNP can win the next election?
Of course we can win the election if is it free and fair.
But I saw some media reports that the UNP (D) group is all ready to help the Government at the next election.
What is the UNP (D) group? They use this name for propaganda but they have for all practical purposes left the UNP and are already an agent of the Government’s. They are not in the UNP. I would like to challenge them – I say they can’t get more than 5000 votes in next election because they have already failed.
However senior members of the UNP have been members of this group
Who are these seniors? Karu? Rajitha? They don’t have big history in politics as UNPers.
Many people have criticized your leader. He was lost more than 10 elections.
Yes … perhaps. But he is the best democratic leader. People will understand it soon. I personally think he is the best as a leader.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
 The people of Sri Lanka will understand the real greatness of Ranil Wickamasinghe soon when they ar...){kind=link}
very few talk the truth like this.
I agree.
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