UNP will form a govt in 2023 – Vajira Abeywardane

•  The main opposition has no prudence and wisdom
• Only Ranil Wickremesinghe can give leadership to resurrect it
• Country in direct predicament

United National Party (UNP) Chairman Vajira Abeywardane, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, speaks with confidence that his party will form a government at the end of 2023. He also responds to questions about the present predicament of the party. The Excerpts; 

Q  You, as the chairman of the UNP, were campaigning for the nomination of your leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the National List MP. You were talking about his future plans. He has been sworn in now. What is the next plan of the party?

His nomination was the expectation of most members of the party, rather than his own expectation.  Most UNPers expected it since they sensed the impending crisis of the country. The country is on the path of decline even now. People will be in a dire predicament by this time of next year.  The country is in urgent need of a leader who can resuscitate it from its peril.  That is why the UNP decided on his nomination to Parliament. He is without parallel in terms of his 45 years of experience in politics - locally and internationally. He is a product of a local university. He studied in the Sinhala medium. The country needs a leader. It is indisputable that Ranil Wickremesinghe only can fill the vacuum.  There have been assaults on his character.  But, he is not swayed to any storm that is standing on his way. That is true to essence of Buddhism. 
All the parties have attacked him. Even most UNPers slandered him. But, he braved all of them. He has been attacked on false grounds with venom and acrimony. The UNP, in its history had faced occasional turmoil triggered over vendetta and jealousy.  Anything that begins with venomous attitude ends up in peril. It is natural. It is better to look at such elements with equanimity. Mr. Wickremesinghe has led by example in this regard.  He is someone who is capable of working with anyone harbouring bitterness towards him.  He is someone living by the essence of Buddhism. 

"I don’t intend to discuss political strategies through a newspaper article.  I can say one thing with certainty.  By the end of 2023, we will definitely form a government. I don’t wish to let you know how. But, it will be a reality. You can look at how the UNP secured power in the past"

Q  You said your leader was without parallel in terms of political experience and wisdom. But, the UNP was relegated to the lowest possible level. In fact, the party could not get even a single seat elected at the last general elections. Then, isn’t it challenging for you to bring such a party to the zenith of politics again?

I don’t think there is any challenge in this. The answer lies in your question. Today, 23 million people are in a dire situation because of that electoral decision. The economy has collapsed. Schoolchildren are unable to do their studies.  Business activities have come down.  The main reason is political skulduggery. We do not believe in telling lies. We, the UNP, chose the correct political path devoid of skulduggery.  We did not resort to such deceptive acts to win over parliamentary seats.  The UNPers chose what is correct. We may have disadvantage in the short run. But, it will be beneficial for us in the long run.  When presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to increase daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1,000, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said it would give Rs.1, 500 and it was like an auction. We should discard such politics. People should understand political farces.  When a political leader says something, he should know how to deliver it. People should be competent enough to have a critical look at what politicians say.  Otherwise, we regret to see people getting carried away by political fairy tales. Mr. Wickremesinghe and the UNP are capable of ridding the country of its present mess.  

Q  The UNP is the smallest party in the opposition with its sole parliamentary seat secured on the National List.  Before capturing governmental power, it should become the main force of the opposition. What is the plan in this regard?

It is completely wrong.  The main opposition was there for one year. But, Mr. Wickremesinghe, on his very first day in the present Parliament, made a captivating speech that served as the eye opener for the entire government machinery and the private sector.  He made an enormous impact in the country by delivering his remarks just for several minutes.   Otherwise, there is no opposition in the present Parliament with prudence and wisdom to enlighten people on what is happening, for example, militarization. The entire country took Mr. Wickremesinghe’s speech by storm.  He will make more impactful speeches in the future.  

"The UNP has always revived the country’s economy and strengthened the treasury every time it ruled. Then, it has handed over the government to its successor only to find the country in ruins again.  That is why we talk about the need for nationally accepted policies"

Q  Does he plan for capturing power in 2024 or before?

I don’t intend to discuss political strategies through a newspaper article.  I can say one thing with certainty.  By the end of 2023, we will definitely form a government. I don’t wish to let you know how. But, it will be a reality. You can look at how the UNP secured power in the past. In 2000 and 2001, there were two parliamentary elections.  One party won. Then, that government collapsed in 2001. Afterwards, the UNP won with a comfortable majority of parliamentary seats. It is true that the government, formed at that moment, was dissolved using the constitutional powers.  Hereafter, we should form a government that cannot be toppled in such a manner. 
We need to evolve national policies acceptable to all. We need policies for a knowledge-based economy.  Also, we need such policies for a green economy.  Again, we need a set of policies for the development of education, the universities and all.  We should make them agreeable to all.  After Independence, we achieved a lot. But, in the absence of national policies or due to their shortcomings, Sri Lanka which was second only to Japan is now compared to Afghanistan. The UNP will give leadership to lift the country out of its misery.  
There is Covid-19 which is spreading fast. If the country is kept open like this, there will be a huge disaster. The government says vaccination is the best solution. Fully vaccinated people will get protection against the disease only after some time.  If you open the country at the speed of vaccination, people will lose their lives.  
In Sri Lanka, there are 1060 hospitals. Besides, the private sector has 200 hospitals. If you visit Covid-19 dedicated hospitals, you find patients even under beds.  A sibling of a university professor known to me also died at the Kalubowila hospital.  If the situation continues like this, Sri Lanka will end up being ‘Vishala Mahanuwara’. 

Q  The government says the lockdown of the country will have a serious bearing on the economy.  The government says it can no longer afford to close the country for economic activities. What is your view?

Buddhism offers ample explanation in this regard. Any government should know that part of its revenue should be reserved for use in case of an emergency. If such reserves are exhausted, people will be in danger.  If the government thinks of keeping the country open and running the economy with people spared by Covid, let it be the policy of the ruling side.  It may be the government’s policy. You can ask it from them. 

Q  You said Sri Lanka, which remained second only to Japan, had been relegated to the level of Afghanistan. Your party also ruled the country for a long period at intervals. Don’t you think that your party is also responsible for the present predicament?

No. The UNP has always revived the country’s economy and strengthened the treasury every time it ruled. Then, it has handed over the government to its successor only to find the country in ruins again.  That is why we talk about the need for nationally accepted policies.
For example, we incorporated the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.   We did it to curtail the powers of executive presidency.   Actually, 222 MPs voted for it.  Such a process was undone by the present government with some 160 votes. We have to make laws that provides for the annulment of such an amendment only with a higher number of votes. For example, if an amendment was incorporated with 222 votes, it could be reversed only with 223 or more votes. We need to get parliamentary approval for such a set of national policies. 

"We should aim at being leaders in port and airport building.   We should position ourselves to be stakeholders of ports and airports in other countries.  When other countries are party to port development in our country, we should also be party to do the same elsewhere in the world"

Q  Do you think that the policies you followed during the 2015/2019 period contributed to your defeat?

What wrong have we done? What policy of ours is to be undone? Is the incorporation of the 19th Amendment into the Constitution is the wrong committed by us? We implemented ‘Gam Peraliya’ programme. Is that wrong?  We created the economic ground for otherwise unviable economic projects such as the Hambantota airport to take off. Is that something wrong done by us?
Are people expecting the UNP to build unsustainable infrastructure projects at different places without any economic logic?  We should aim at being leaders in port and airport building.   We should position ourselves to be stakeholders of ports and airports in other countries.  When other countries are party to port development in our country, we should also be party to do the same elsewhere in the world. The UNP always strengthened the economy.  It is only the SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) -led governments that destroyed our leading business institutions.  We talked about Adani in India.  Sri Lanka also had Adanis. Only the SLFP-led governments destroyed them. 

Q  You talked about revival of economy by the UNP every time. During the term of the previous government, the economic growth slowed to 3.5%. How do you justify your claim then?

Those are wrong figures. The elections were supposed to be conducted in 2017.  The then   government that was defeated in 2015 went to polls earlier. That is because they knew they could not govern the country.  Otherwise, they could have stayed in power till 2017.  They tried to seek a fresh mandate prematurely because the economy was in tatters. People voted out that government. Our government had a setback after Easter Sunday attack towards the end of its term. 
There is no impact of such an attack on this government. It did not face disasters such as droughts.  It did not experience disasters such as floods.  There was no burden of unyielding economic projects for this government.  Despite all such problems, we gave a salary hike for public servants. 

"The present government promised a solution to North and East issue.  But, it has been disregarded in the midst of the pandemic.  We encounter burning issues each day.  We need to resolve them collectively without alienating anyone"

Q  But, the pandemic has become a crisis for the entire globe. Tourism industry has come down to zero because of the pandemic. How do you look at it?

It is absolutely true. But, we have to bear one thing in mind.  For the first time after the World War II, laws are being made in the world to deal with the pandemic.  New financial regulations and policies are evolved in the world.  The parliaments in the world have signed them into laws.  In Sri Lanka, there is an archaic law being used to govern the country these days in the midst of the pandemic. No pandemic related law has been brought in.  People only will suffer. 

Q  There won’t be any policy transformation of the UNP in the future?

The UNP will implement a knowledge-based economic model keeping abreast with the latest developments in the world.  We lay the foundation for posterity to compete globally. 

Q  What is your party’s policy on the north and east issue? 

The present government promised a solution to it.  But, it has been disregarded in the midst of the pandemic.  We encounter burning issues each day.  We need to resolve them collectively without alienating anyone.