The Daily News Kurunegala Correspondent S.M. Wijayaratne interviewed two political personalities from the Kurunegala District contesting the August 5 General Election – Asanka Nawaratne from the SLPP and H.B. Tennakoon from the UNP. Here they share their views on a variety of topics.
Asanka Nawaratne who is contesting from the SLPP for the Kurunegala District.
Q: As the leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, you are contesting the General Election 2020 under the symbol of the ‘flower bud’ for the Kurunegala District. What is your vision?
A: We always stand for the benefit of the common people of this country and we think that there should be people-friendly political leaders to steer the country forward, who want to achieve success in every field for the interests of the common people. That is why we are joining the SLPP alliance this time, to realise the dreams of the people, for the dawn of a better future for the citizens of this country, after the General Election 2020. We are committed to safeguarding the democratic rights of the people, while ensuring them economic progress blessed with peace and justice.
Q: Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is contesting the General Election 2020 from the Kurunegala District. How does his representation of the Kurunegala District affect your election campaign?
A: We see that the political opponents of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa are fabricating stories about him to deprive him of the people’s confidence and it is an open secret that most of his political rivals are jealous of his popularity among the voters of this country.
However, our sole wish is that as the next Prime Minister after the General Election 2020, he would be able to accomplish a number of proposed development projects for the benefit of the people in the Kurunegala District.
As Premier, Mahinda Rajapaksa would have the authority to execute the desired economic development programmes under the leadership of his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
It will be a blessing for the people of the Kurunegala District to produce a Prime Minister from Kurunegala for this country, at the upcoming Parliamentary Election. Since both President and the Prime Minister are from the same political party, the administration of the government in the future would continue smoothly without any differences in political ideologies as happened during past regime of the ‘Good Governance’ government.
Q: You are a reputed senior councillor of the North Western Provincial Council (NWPC) who represented both Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts for a decade. Are you satisfied with the PC administrative system?
A: I represented the NWPC for 10 years. We were mere PC councillors and we were unable to undertake any positive development project for the common people of the province. Frankly, I was unable to accomplish any development work. We were not granted adequate funds from the central government. The ministers of the NWPC also did not offer the necessary support to us to help the common people of the province. If the Provincial Council Election was held prior to the General Election 2020, I would not have contested the PC election this time.
Q: What do you wish to tell the voters of the Kurunegala District as a SLPP candidate of the General Election 2020?
A: I wish to tell the people of the Kurunegala District to rectify the blunder that they made by electing the ‘Good Governance’ government last time. This General Election 2020 is a fine opportunity for the people to undo their past mistakes. We have to strengthen the hands of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at this election to take the country forward for the people with pride and dignity, as a dignified nation before the world.
I specially appeal to the people of Kurunegala to elect genuine, honest and people-friendly representatives to Parliament this time. Only a strong Parliament that is in favour of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be able to successfully overcome the existing challenges within the country.
Therefore, the voters of Kurunegala have to cast their votes to elect the majority of the SLPP candidates to the next Parliament. Foreign anti-Sri Lankan elements too are now in action to put our motherland into inconvenience by utilising international organisations. It is essential that the present leadership of this country has to stand against those hostile foreign elements for the sake of our motherland.
Q:How do you feel personally about the UNP and the SJB at this General Election and their roles for the people?
A: It is really sad not to have a strong Opposition to represent the country. Both the UNP and the SJB are struggling to capture the power of the same party after they had been divided into two separate factions. Actually, both the UNP and the SJB have no proper development plan for the future of the people or the country. They are criticising each other on political stages by being in two separate factions. Due to the internal conflicts within the UNP and the SJB, the frustrated UNP supporters are now joining the SLPP in great numbers countrywide.
On the other hand, irrespective of party politics, the majority of people are now appreciating the genuine sacrifices that are made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in building the Sri Lankan nation on a new political culture, free from malice and hatred, ensuring equal democratic rights to all communities alike.
Weak political leaders of this day have much to learn from the administrative skills and far-sightedness of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Consequently, both the UNP and the SJB would have an unforgettable defeat in the Kurunegala District too at the Parliamentary Election on August 5.
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