‘Promises made by Common Opposition Candidate unrealistic’

Deputy Minister of Resettlement and one time second in command of the LTTE, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman spoke to Dailymirror on the coming Presidential Election, his opinion on the constitutional changes and the reformation of the LTTE. 

What is your opinion on the promises made by Maithripala Sirisena on the abolishment of the executive presidency, the establishment of independent commissions and the change in electoral systems? 
This is not possible. They’re agreement is alright, but practically they can’t implement it. The executive presidency, is a promise made by everyone. Even Chandrika when she was campaigning for her second term promised that she would abolish the executive presidency when she was elected. But she didn’t do that. The people who are making these promises are backed by her now. 

According to the law without a two third majority they can’t change the constitution, they can’t change the executive presidency. Then how can they do so within 100 days, that is not possible. We have to appreciate the President because the freedom that we are now enjoying is due to his efforts. He finished the war and the people are living happily. They are engaged in democratic politics and they don’t have any problem. Even the TNA was elected to power in the Northern Province. 

At the same time there is massive development taking place in Sri Lanka. The last budget was also good for the people. He increased the salary, there was a lot of allowances given to the people while the farmers were also given some relief. It will benefit the people if he remains in power. 

What about the establishment of independent commissions and the change in the electoral system?
The electoral system has been discussed with the senior ministers and they have an idea to change it. However, there are some benefits as well as a lot of practical difficulties. If we bring in the new system (the first past the post system) then the minority people can’t get their representatives into parliament or even local government.  This system is good for the minorities. 

Look at the agreements that they have signed. They have signed it with individual parties. Maithripala Sirisena, Chandrika. Who is Chandrika? She has no party. It is the same with Rajitha Senaratna? He has no political party or organization.  JHU, JVP, Sarath Fonseka they can do something with them, they are political parties. The individuals are signing agreements and saying they would do something for the people, that is not possible for them. 

As an SLFP Vice President as well as a representative of the people in the Eastern Province and the Tamil people, what do you think the Tamil community wants from the President and how would it affect them if Maithripala Sirisena comes to power? 
This is a crucial issue. Our President has some extraordinary qualities, that is good for the Muslim and Tamil people. He is the only man who can do what is needful for the Muslim and Tamil people. Nobody else can do this. Especially the alliance with the JHU. They are the number one political party based on racism in Sri Lanka. They never liked the Tamil or the Muslim people and now they are with the Opposition. Secondly, the JVP, they too never talk about the rights of the Tamil or the Muslim people. 

Tamil speaking people have to think properly at this time, they have to look for a good solution. If President Rajapaksa is re-elected we can get a good solution. This is why the executive presidency is good for the minority people.

Why?
Because then the President can make the decisions. If we abolish the executive presidency then all decisions will come through the parliament and they wouldn’t agree to give single rights or anything to the Tamil speaking people.  We have to support him and we have to utilize the situation to get our rights. 

Can you give an example of what the executive presidency, specifically under Mahinda Rajapaksa, has done for the minority people?
We have to implement the 13th amendment. That is my view and we have spoken to the President about this. You can take some powers away and give some but the 13th amendment has to be implemented. 

So you agree that the 13th amendment hasn’t been fully implemented?
Yes. Personally I want the 13th amendment for our people. We can’t do this without the executive presidency. If this was to go through parliament, many of the political parties in parliament wouldn’t allow it. Especially with the Sinhala political leaders. They sometimes would not agree with its implementation.  If we give the President our support we can ask for our rights. 

But he promised to implement the 13th amendment fully, and that has not happened?
This is the time. This is his last period in power. 

Are you sure that this is the third and last period of power for the President?
This is the period that he has some courage to do what he has to. We can discuss and negotiate. At the same time I request that the Tamil people increase their power in parliament, like the Muslims. Muslim leaders are with the government and they are making their demands.  But there is no one to put forward the demands of the Tamil people. 

The TNA is with the opposition so they can’t make demands. There are only two or three Tamil ministers with the President so how can we ask for anything? That is our fault. We have to increase the parliamentary power with the government. It doesn’t matter if it is with the SLFP or anyone, their main aim should be to increase their parliamentary power. 

The Muslim leaders are now utilizing this bargaining power. They are now demanding the Kalmunai District and this is reasonable. Ampara is a very vast area, they can administer it properly. From Kalmunai to the Ampara Katchcheri there is more than 50- 60 km. How can the poor people get their work done? This is why they are demanding total control over it. Now the President is also considering it and he is going to give them the administrative powers. The Tamil people have no one to make such demands on their behalf. 

So you don’t think the TNA makes the necessary demands? 
The TNA is going down the wrong road.  They utilize the Tamil people’s votes just to stay in power. After they won the Northern Provincial Council they didn’t do anything. They can’t do anything. That is the reality. If they could they would have done a lot by now, like we did in the Eastern Province. The East works with the government and we have a lot of development there because of it. If they stay with the government they can demand change. 

The TNA is constantly asking for land and police powers. They demanded the army camps to be removed and have charged that there is a land grab going on in the Northern Province. What are your views on these demands?
What do they need police powers for? We are a small country and we are living together everywhere. Police power is not necessary; this would only create more problems. 

Some powers will come when we have the 13th amendment. For example police powers are not necessary. The lands are controlled by the Government Agent. They can’t do anything without the permission of the GA. 

They talk about colonisation. We will not allow such things. There were some issues in the Eastern Province and we did not allow it to happen. People from Ampara tried to get lands in Batticaloa, all we said was that they cancel their registration in Ampara and come settle in Batticaloa, we will give them the land. 

According to the law you can live anywhere, you change your registration and then go. These are things that we can control. We can’t have false propaganda and make unnecessary problems amongst the Diaspora.  We have to maintain our sovereignty.   

Do you think there is some truth to the TNA’s claim of land grabbing in the Northern Province? That land has been taken over for development and security reasons? 
I don’t accept that land should be taken for army camps. But practically if you look at it in the Eastern Province there aren’t any army camps. Not even in a single house. They withdrew five camps from Batticaloa and we resettled people as well. In the same way they released 200 acres in Mullaitivu. We can sort out the problem. 

They can’t gazette land for them. 

But they already have. They have taken up land in the Northern Province for development. An example would be Sampur in the Eastern Province that was acquired for development? The land is not given back to the people and the people are not settling anywhere else either because they don’t want anything else? 
That is a different story. According to our constitution there are laws that allow the government to take over land for development. This has happened before. The Mahaweli Project and the Victoria reservation are examples. People were relocated and the tanks were made. 

In the same way there are problems of relocation in Sampur. The area was acquired to be converted into an industrial estate. This is good for the people. Once development is completed more than 5,000 jobs will be created there. We also have to provide the people with the necessary lands and facilities. 
We have identified and allocated land for nearly 200 families who have already been relocated. There are 500 families who don’t want to relocate; we are looking for lands for them. They are being controlled very badly by the TNA. They are asking the people not to go and the people are suffering because of it. We have the money and the facilities to resettle them, under our Ministry. We can resettle them even tomorrow. But without their willingness we can’t do anything.

Do you think many of the LLRC suggestions have been implemented? What more has to be done?
There are 82 to 85 issues that need to be looked into. We won’t neglect it we will implement them. We didn’t allow the international community to come here, even personally I opposed it. You can’t implement it in one go. We have to do so little by little. 

What is your opinion on the 18th amendment?
That is not a big issue. There are many countries that have this. Even in New Zealand the President was elected for the third term. We made it through parliament. People can vote for them. Its their choice. 

The President has to be elected again. There are no strong leaders in the country like him. Even if Maithripala comes to powere he can’t do what he (the President) does.  Their coalition is like an achcharu, they can’t rule like that. 

Maithripala shifted sides because the President didn’t make him the Prime Minister. If he had given him the post he would have stayed. This means that he wants power. Even if he wins how can he hand over power to the UNP? That is not possible. Even the UNPers, don’t like it. They don’t want to support Maithripala. 

They want to change the government that is a different story. If someone from the party was contesting, then the people would have liked it. 

Maithripala shouted about the UNP, criticized Ranil and now he’s with the coalition. They are not clear about what they want.  It was the same scenario last time. Everyone supported Sarath Fonseka but they stopped working for him at the last minute. The same thing will happen to Maithripala. 

Maithripala at a press conference said that he was not allowed to run his ministry properly. Has something similar happened to you?
They have to talk. They didn’t say a word. They have to argue and sort out their problems. Even the Hela Urumaya I can appreciate. They were shouting at the government for the past two years. When they were with the government they shouted, they criticized. This is a good policy.  These people didn’t say a word. 

I was there when the central committee meeting where former General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena was also present took place.  He read the minutes of the last meeting and he asked the party members if we are going to select the President as the candidate without any opposition. He too raised his hand in favour of the proposal, then he had dinner with the President and the next morning he was gone. 

This would have come as a surprise to you isn’t it? To find out that he had been made the opposition common candidate? 
The opposition common candidate was a big issue for everyone. But we never expected Maithripala to go like that. If he had stayed with the government he would have definitely been the Prime Minister next time. Everybody wanted to give him the post as well, nobody was against it. 

What is your opinion on the 19th amendment?
That is also not possible. There are so many things included in it.  

Are you saying that it is not going to happen or shouldn’t happen?
We already have a mechanism in Sri Lanka and it has been in place for a long time. Nothing happened to the people. Even our constitution is very old. All the ministers are elected by the people. We can reduce the number of ministers. Our cabinet is very big, my opinion is that we can reduce them. We can give them powers in some other way. It was done by the UNP government at one point, they appointed district committees and it was very good for  development. This is my personal view. The President has some idea of changing this situation during his next term in power. 

What kind of an idea?
He wants to reduce the ministries. 

He said he would reduce the number of ministries?
He never gave a statement on it, but we are considering it internally, to reduce the number of ministries. The good thing is that a lot of minorities are getting their rights. He appointed several Tamil ministers and that is good for the people. In the future we have to figure out other ways. 

Do you think the army camps in the Northern Province should be there for some time and removed in the future? What is your opinion on this?
They are removing them little by little. I discussed the matter with the Defence Secretary and he promised me that with time it would reduce. The TNA members should be careful with their propaganda. National security is important. Army camps can be anywhere in the country, that is not a problem. 
A problem that we face in Jaffna is that there are no government lands, Vanni and Killinochci  have lands. But in the Jaffna peninsula there is a land problem. If they coordinate properly with the government they don’t have to be worried about the security. Look at the Eastern Province. They never kept private land, just government land. They do what they want to and the people go on with their lives. We can do the same for the North. 

Do you think that you can change it?
Yes definitely. It is not good for the people if we don’t.

The Eastern Province is the only community with all three communities living side by side. There is some discomfort going on in the country. How is that affecting the people there?
There are some issues but the president has done some good things for the people. Communal issues are normal, it happens everywhere. But we have to be careful about how we approach them. 

Do you think the government is handling the communal issue properly?
Yes they are even controlling the BBS. 

You think the Bodu Bala Sena is controlled?
Yes, they are no longer violent. Idealism is something, they can talk about it and there is no problem. Even Patali Champika is guilty of being racist against the Tamil people in parliament. And he was with the government. That is his ideology. We don’t need to worry about him. If the President is speaking like that then we can change the government. 

What are the measures he had take in to control them?
Nothing has happened in a while. The President has asked the Police to take strong action and that is why it has stopped.  We shouldn’t worry about them. We have to look at the government. If the government is like that then we have a problem and we need to change it. People can meet the President to talk and negotiate anything that they need. 

Can the LTTE reform? There have been arrests that have been made, do you think they can reform? 
That is not possible. Among the Diaspora there are some people. But that too is not possible. The people and the North and East are living in peace after a long time. There is democracy, their children are studying and they are getting their benefits. 

I kindly request the TNA not to exaggerate. Nothing is happening. We can join the political mainstream. There is democracy. We don’t want to take up weapons. According to the ground situation they can’t reform Sri Lanka. 

KP has been the arms supplier for the LTTE, but there are no cases filed against him by the government or anyone else. As a government minister what is your opinion on this?
 KP issue is a little different. First of all he surrendered to the government and the president has the right to give him amnesty. 12,000 cadres were given amnesty and they are living with their families now. KP is also the same. It depends on what the President thinks, if he wants to give him amnesty then he will.     

Pix by Kithsiri De Mel