“Mahinda Rajapaksa is the mantra which mobilises the people”: Vasu

• Says former President is willing to be in politics again; calls for immediate abolition of executive presidency

There is a gap between the President and Premier in terms of how they think, stressed Leader of the Democratic Leftist Front and former Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara adding the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combination is a ‘very uncomfortable’ one. According to Nanayakkara, the President is dependent on the Premier. “Wickremesinghe is not used to Sirisena’s ideologies. As a result they are going in their own directions. They are thinking differently and therefore acting differently.” Confusion is the brandmark of this Government, noted Nanayakkara, attributing it to the incompatibility of the people in that collective. “I would have preferred to have a fresh personality in order to give new leadership, but we don’t have such a best personality. Mahinda Rajapaksa is still in high demand by people. He is even yet quite fresh in leadership. He is the mantra which mobilises the people,” he added. Following are excerpts:       Q: How would you describe the present political situation in the country? A: It is very unstable, uncertain, and confusing.   Q: Why would you say that? A: There is gap between the President and the Prime Minister in terms of how they think. The respective members of the two sides express contradictory views. When we look at what they say about the elections, it proves that they are uncertain of their position. We hear contradicting statements from different spokespersons. People are confused. The promises that were made have not been realised at the people’s level. A main feature of the 100 day program is bringing down the prices of some of the essential commodities by reducing Customs duties and other duties. Although they have done it, the traders don’t seem to pass it on to the people. On the contrary they seem to be increasing their profits and taking advantage of the situation. Similarly, the bus owners and three-wheeler owners have taken it for granted that benefits were given to them rather than to the people. People are left in the cold in the absence of any enforcement mechanism. I don’t think the Government believes in price control; they don’t believe in any control. Therefore, they are unlikely to bring about any price control. They expect market mechanisms to finally ensure their proposals as the matter of course but it does not happen. That is why enforcement intervention is necessary. But the Government does not have the mind or the vision to do so.   Q: Why couldn’t your Government provide these benefits? A: We wanted to keep the duties high for the imported items so that they are higher in price than the local produce of the same kind and thereby encourage local production and self sufficiency of our own food items, thus ensuring food security. It ultimately brings the benefit of the market to the actual cultivator. It has two advantages, to the cultivator and also to the consumer. The left parties, particularly the Democratic Left Front, requested the President to carry out certain reforms in relation to prices. We reminded him time and again. We presented our proposals every time he brought out a budget. We stressed the importance of having a dual price structure. Like in India, people with lower incomes should be given the essential items and food at a concessionary price. Their health, nutrition and food sufficiency is very important. This advice was never heeded by the President. As a result, people at the lower income level had cost of living issues. This was one of the reasons why a large number of our voters turned against us.   Q: But you want to bring that very same President to power once again? A: That is because we want to change the present Government. We need to help the local farmer. The national economy should be given more priority. On the other hand, among the consumers are low income earners who are about 50% of the population who need to be looked after. To serve them, we need to bring about the new Government with Mahinda Rajapaksa at the helm, but he has to agree to our arrangements. Otherwise I will not be part of this exercise. If I had another person, I would have really supported that person. I would have preferred to have a fresh personality in order to give new leadership. But we don’t have such a best personality. Mahinda Rajapaksa is still in high demand by people. He is even yet quite fresh in leadership. He is the mantra which mobilises the people. We are not trying to help Mahinda; we are trying to bring about political mobilisation which becomes a reality only when we use the Mahinda mantra.   Q: Is it true that your attempt to bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa is for mere political survival? A: We could have very well joined Ranil Wickremesinghe. We would be very welcome. We could very much be part of Nimal Siripala and his group. We don’t have any difficulty in finding accommodation politically. We are committed to a political philosophy, a political perspective, a political economic program which we can realise only by bringing about a change with Mahinda Rajapaksa in leadership and us in the inner circle. How many times have I been asked by the other parties to come along? When there was a breakaway group who went over to Wickremesinghe’s camp, I was asked to join them. I said no. I cannot leave behind the political mass forces that are embedded with a consciousness which relates to the country’s political freedom against the imperialism and the social and economic reforms that have been carried out over the last so many years. The democratic reforms; all these are cumulatively a part of the consciousness of the masses who are behind the anti-UNP political camp. Therefore these forces are the change agent and we need to mobilise them in order to bring about any changes. These forces only determine the ultimate direction in which whatever government that comes into power based on their strength will go.   Q: No former President has ever contested as a prime ministerial candidate in the country’s political history. Your views? A: We must dare to do some of the things for the first time some of the time. If he (Mahinda Rajapaksa) is not willing, well we can’t do anything about it, but he is very willing to be in politics once again.   Q: But Mahinda Rajapaksa has not made any open statements in this regard? A: He has openly indicated. We are keeping everybody in suspense. But I am very certain that he is willing to take this challenge.   Q: Won’t your attempt further divide the SLFP? A: Yes, if Mahinda Rajapaksa comes back, the SLFP will become divided. When Maithripala and his five supporters went across, the SLFP became divided. The SLFP was left with whoever did not cross. Then there were those who wanted to go across but they were hesitating. However, when the change came about, they went over to Maithripala Sirisena even before any decision was taken by the SLFP. There came the next division. Thirdly, the SLFP hierarchy thinks that Sirisena is their leader while the SLFP masses think that Mahinda Rajapaksa is their leader. This is the contest between the hierarchical leader and the mass leader. This division has to come sooner or later.   Q: What are your thoughts on the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combination? A: It is a very uncomfortable combination. Sirisena is dependent on Wickremesinghe. On the other hand, Sirisena is not used to Wickremesinghe’s ideologies and Wickremesinghe is not used to Sirisena’s ideologies. As a result they are going in their own directions. They are thinking differently and therefore acting differently. There is also a contest between them regarding the supremacy. Wickremesinghe thinks with constitutional changes he will become supreme. Sirisena thinks he has supremacy notwithstanding the constitutional changes. This tug-of-war will go on.   Q: How will this tug of war between the President and the Premier affect the country? A: This is why I said there is confusion, uncertainty and instability.   Q: What do you have to say about the corruption charges against members of previous the Government? A: Anybody who is involved in such acts should be hounded and in the bribery net and they should have the fate of being discarded in politics.   Q: You work closely with Wimal Weerawansa who is also accused of corruption charges? A: I don’t think they are corrupt. Until they are proven guilty, they are innocent. We are tired of this corruption talk; we want the talk to walk.   Q: The SLFP has agreed to a National Government. Your comments? A: That is irrelevant to our group and our mobilisation campaign. Whoever walks with the Government should try something in common. If they find anything in common regarding politics, economics and social needs, they should come together. When they come together, the past and their differences disappear. That makes polarisation easier.   Q: What does the country need? A: Immediately, the country needs stability; a definite perspective and a program where the people should be in the centre, this country needs people-centred policies; the market should be bent towards society by the intervention of the State, else markets will only provide for the survival of the richest – we want the survival of the poor.   Q: If Mahinda Rajapaksa is not accepted back in politics, how will it affect your political future? A: We want him included in the leadership of the alliance of the next election campaign. We want his leadership, among that of others. Not his leadership, our leadership. Masses have said out loud in Nugegoda and Kandy where they want to go. I think the SLFP and the alliance should listen to it. If they try disciplinary action against anybody who comes into this campaign, the disciplinarians will get isolated. We are for the abolition of the executive presidency. Right now, straight away. But there are problems because the elected president does not want to abolish it immediately. Therefore, there has to be some bargaining in order to have him there. I don’t know how this can be achieved, however we are for abolition. If reduction of power is the first step, we don’t mind it, as long as it is in the direction of abolition. We are not interested about immediate elections. We are interested about reforms. Reforms will be the only real thing that could be left in the records of the new Government. Everything else will wither away on implementation. Confusion is the brandmark of this Government. That is because there are incompatible people in that collective. The traditional UNPers are not there in power. As far as inner circle of Wickremesinghe is concerned, it is not comprised of traditional UNPers. All the work that was going on in road construction, irrigation construction and large projects has come to a stop. Tens and thousands of people are without employment. It has resulted in a decline in the retail trade. In addition, the rupee has declined and it has adversely affected the wage earners. People who voted for the swan, particularly the traders, are today regretting that they did so because their trade has suffered a bad drop.