I don't have to agree with president on everything - Kumara Welgama
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), at this juncture, is caught between the past of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and uncertain future of President Maithripala Sirisena. As this tug-of-war between the two leaders continues, former Minister of Transport and SLFP organizer for Agalawatte, Kumara Welgama, says fielding Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA Prime Ministerial candidate at an upcoming general election was an option 'still on the table' in SLFP circles.
Ceylontoday, 2015-03-11 02:00:00
Read 611 Times
I don't have to agree with president on everything - Kumara Welgama
By Zahrah Imitiaz
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), at this juncture, is caught between the past of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and uncertain future of President Maithripala Sirisena. As this tug-of-war between the two leaders continues, former Minister of Transport and SLFP organizer for Agalawatte, Kumara Welgama, says fielding Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA Prime Ministerial candidate at an upcoming general election was an option 'still on the table' in SLFP circles. Given this scenario, whether the SLFP can avoid a possible split in the near future, remains an important question.
Following are excerpts:
Following are excerpts:
Q.On what basis did you oppose the formation of a national government at the SLFP Convention held in Katunayake recently?
A: Number one is that you don't have to go for a national government as we have the left movement with us and all these years the SLFP has won with the left movement. So, we don't need to join up with the UNP. The UNP is a different party and we have never gone for a national government with them. I was appointed as the SLFP organizer for Agalawatte 33 years ago by the late Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike. She never taught us to go for a national government with the UNP. Neither the voters in our district, nor the leftist voters who voted for me, has given me a mandate to join up with the UNP. They always say 'don't go with the UNP'. They ask us to form a left front and go for a general election. If we do that, we can form a government without any problem.
A: Number one is that you don't have to go for a national government as we have the left movement with us and all these years the SLFP has won with the left movement. So, we don't need to join up with the UNP. The UNP is a different party and we have never gone for a national government with them. I was appointed as the SLFP organizer for Agalawatte 33 years ago by the late Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike. She never taught us to go for a national government with the UNP. Neither the voters in our district, nor the leftist voters who voted for me, has given me a mandate to join up with the UNP. They always say 'don't go with the UNP'. They ask us to form a left front and go for a general election. If we do that, we can form a government without any problem.
Q.Today, the President, who is also the Chairman of the SLFP, is working with the UNP and the common belief is that all parties must get together for the betterment of the country. Don't you agree?
A: Who says that? The majority of the people in the SLFP won't want to join hands with the UNP.
The present President was elected by the people with the support of the UNP. We have to agree with that. The UNP played a major role in bringing him into power. He has to be with the UNP. He became the President with the majority of the votes coming in from the UNP, so that is right. But we are leftists. The President too was with the SLFP. Then he left and went with the UNP and came in with a different symbol. But, I have been with the SLFP. I never quit. This is my thinking. Just because the President is the Chairman of the SLFP, we don't have to agree to everything. We respect him, he is our Chairman. He was our General Secretary, and he and I worked together to bring the SLFP up, but he contested from a different party and symbol, to be the President. I don't have to agree with everything he says. This is my personal opinion.
Thus, I expressed my personal opinion at that convention. And therefore I was isolated.
A: Who says that? The majority of the people in the SLFP won't want to join hands with the UNP.
The present President was elected by the people with the support of the UNP. We have to agree with that. The UNP played a major role in bringing him into power. He has to be with the UNP. He became the President with the majority of the votes coming in from the UNP, so that is right. But we are leftists. The President too was with the SLFP. Then he left and went with the UNP and came in with a different symbol. But, I have been with the SLFP. I never quit. This is my thinking. Just because the President is the Chairman of the SLFP, we don't have to agree to everything. We respect him, he is our Chairman. He was our General Secretary, and he and I worked together to bring the SLFP up, but he contested from a different party and symbol, to be the President. I don't have to agree with everything he says. This is my personal opinion.
Thus, I expressed my personal opinion at that convention. And therefore I was isolated.
Q.You say you were isolated. So, how do you think your future political career would pan out as you seem to be more and more identified as a supporter of the former President?
A: I am not a supporter of any man. I am not a supporter of Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa or our current President. I respect all of them, but I don't belong to any of them. I am a free man. I am a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Man.
A: I am not a supporter of any man. I am not a supporter of Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa or our current President. I respect all of them, but I don't belong to any of them. I am a free man. I am a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Man.
Q.There have been reports that you were spotted at the Nugegoda and Kandy rallies, which were organized in support of the former President. Are they true?
A: It was a personal decision to go for the Nugegoda rally. I did not go to support anyone. I went for a left movement rally. I am a left man and the SLFP is a left party.
A: It was a personal decision to go for the Nugegoda rally. I did not go to support anyone. I went for a left movement rally. I am a left man and the SLFP is a left party.
Q.Did you attend the Kandy rally?
A: No, I did not go as I was in Parliament and the Central Committee took a decision, along with President Maithripala Sirisena, that no one should go for the rally and I obeyed that decision.
A: No, I did not go as I was in Parliament and the Central Committee took a decision, along with President Maithripala Sirisena, that no one should go for the rally and I obeyed that decision.
Q.You claim to have leftist tendencies. But, do you not think that it is inevitable that the President would go along with the UNP for a national government? He said so in his manifesto. What will you do then?
A: I'll remain with the SLFP. I'm a SLFP man. Anyone who wants to go for a national government can do so. I will stick to the party and sit in the Opposition.
A: I'll remain with the SLFP. I'm a SLFP man. Anyone who wants to go for a national government can do so. I will stick to the party and sit in the Opposition.
Q.Can you remain in the Opposition if your party takes a stance to join the government?
A: The party has people with different opinions. I am a left man. I don't want to join hands with the UNP and go for a national government. But, I will obey the party decision.
A: The party has people with different opinions. I am a left man. I don't want to join hands with the UNP and go for a national government. But, I will obey the party decision.
Q.Given these considerations, do you see that the SLFP today is facing a split between the ideologies of the former and current Presidents?
A: No. What we think is that we should unite the two former Presidents and the present one, to contest the next general election.
A: No. What we think is that we should unite the two former Presidents and the present one, to contest the next general election.
Q.But, despite the SLFP Central Committee banning the SLFPers from attending rallies, some of them still attended the Kandy rally? Is this not a sign of rebellion?
A: That you have to ask them. I cannot answer any questions with regard to them. Everybody has the freedom to join a rally organized by the left movement. That rally was not organized by Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was organized by Dinesh Gunawardane, Wimal Weerawansa and the left, in support of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Q.
Is it not a given that if you belong to the party you should follow the leader?
A: No, we don't have to do that. If we have a disagreement, we can thrash it out. I can tell him that I am against it. Just because I pointed it out and say that I am against a national government, it does not mean I am out of the party. It is my duty to point things out. We go to the Central Committee to point out the truth.
A: That you have to ask them. I cannot answer any questions with regard to them. Everybody has the freedom to join a rally organized by the left movement. That rally was not organized by Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was organized by Dinesh Gunawardane, Wimal Weerawansa and the left, in support of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Q.
Is it not a given that if you belong to the party you should follow the leader?
A: No, we don't have to do that. If we have a disagreement, we can thrash it out. I can tell him that I am against it. Just because I pointed it out and say that I am against a national government, it does not mean I am out of the party. It is my duty to point things out. We go to the Central Committee to point out the truth.
Q.Yes, that is a very democratic process, but there are allegations that during the tenure of the previous President as the Chairman of the party, none were allowed to speak up in the party. Some of your Central Committee members have equated the Central Committee at that time to a 'graveyard'.
A: No, that is not true. I had no such issue. I spoke up during Cabinet meetings and Central Committee meetings. I did not have any such problems. He was fine with me.
A: No, that is not true. I had no such issue. I spoke up during Cabinet meetings and Central Committee meetings. I did not have any such problems. He was fine with me.
Q.There is a probable general election in the offing and some in the SLFP fear that a general election at this time would be bad for the future of the SLFP. They want it postponed. What is your opinion?
A: My opinion is that the SLFP can contest an election anytime. If they have said in the election manifesto that they are going to dissolve Parliament after 100 days, they should do so. It does not matter to me. We are very well organized and we can take them on even after 100 days.
A: My opinion is that the SLFP can contest an election anytime. If they have said in the election manifesto that they are going to dissolve Parliament after 100 days, they should do so. It does not matter to me. We are very well organized and we can take them on even after 100 days.
Q.But, to go for an election, you still have to sort out the issue of the Prime Ministerial (PM) candidate. The SLFP says they do not want Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM while the left parties in the UPFA are calling for that?
A: No, the SLFP has never said that. Who has said that? Tell me who has opposed Mahinda Rajapaksa? No one has opposed that.
A: No, the SLFP has never said that. Who has said that? Tell me who has opposed Mahinda Rajapaksa? No one has opposed that.
Q.So you think the candidacy of Mahinda Rajapaksa for PM from the UPFA is still on the table?
A: Yes it is still on the table. We can all discuss it and sort out the problem.
A: Yes it is still on the table. We can all discuss it and sort out the problem.
Q.Do you believe President Maithripala Sirisena will take the party to great heights in future? Do you have confidence in him to do that?
A: He is the party chairman, was the party general secretary. He will do his best for the party as he is a SLFP man and has been in the party for the last 45 years. His ideas are SLFP ideas and this is similar to mine. He does not want the party to go down. I have confidence in him.
([email protected]// )
A: He is the party chairman, was the party general secretary. He will do his best for the party as he is a SLFP man and has been in the party for the last 45 years. His ideas are SLFP ideas and this is similar to mine. He does not want the party to go down. I have confidence in him.
([email protected]// )
No comments:
Post a Comment