‘UNP has an edge over UPFA’- Rosy

One time Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia and a celebrity Rosy Senanayake stated that the UNP will certainly have an edge over the UPFA at the forthcoming Western Provincial Council (WPC) election. She says the people living in this province have already decided to vote UPFA out of power. “It is only through some sort of magic that the UPFA can win the WPC. Otherwise, it will be a UNP council,” she said. She also said that the electoral structure is preventing women from participating in national as well as local politics. She said though females have outnumbered the males in Sri Lanka, only less than five percent of women are represented in parliament, and less than one percent is involved in local politics. She continued to maintain that the political structure and the fact that Sri Lankan society continues to be a ‘male dominated one’, have all pushed the Lankan women to the back seat. “I believe more women should participate in politics to bring a drastic change in the country,” she told The Nation in an interview

Following are excerpts:

Q: What is the progress of your campaign and what are the chances of a UNP victory?

A: I am very optimistic that the UNP will win the Colombo district. I have seen a paradigm shift in the minds of the people in the last ten days. Initially when I started the campaign, I felt the people were not enthusiastic. But now the people are feeling the pinch because of the cost of living and they are beginning to appreciate what the UNP has done in the past. Today many people, especially in Colombo, are without bonuses, festival advance, their salaries or even their jobs. A few weeks ago all these people were singing the same chorus with the government but today they are feeling the pinch of it. It is not easy when they had to go home without salaries. Quite obviously this trend is changing their attitude in favour of the UNP. Though we are sure to win Colombo, I also feel, overall, the UNP will definitely have an edge over the UPFA in the entire province. In Moratuwa, especially during the festive seasons the town gets busier with a lot of orders. This place is known for carpentry but now they complain that they don’t have business and the New Year is going to be rather dull. Most of the workshops have closed down and for the first time the business class is affected.

Q: Why do you think the people should vote for the UNP?

A: UNP has always been people friendly. If one looks at the post independence development, it is the UNP that has spearheaded all of them. Take for instance the irrigation projects and so on or the infrastructure development and the Information Technology. All developments have been led and promoted by the UNP while the SLFP has only carried out follow up programmes. The apparel and migrant worker industries were scoffed upon at that time but this has given a boost to the country’s economy. When we monitor the stock market, we learn that 60 per cent of the Stock Market companies have crashed due to the present dismal economic performance of the UPFA government. It is the UNP that has a solution to increase investment. The reason why the people should vote for UNP is because this is an election that determines the wellbeing of the people of the Western Province and not an election to decide on national policy, be they the ethnic issue or war. The PC election is important to the people of the province. For instance, except for a few schools and hospitals, all the other hospitals come under the provincial council. 50 percent of the country’s economy is controlled in the Western Province. The present council controlled by the UPFA cannot even clear the garbage. Garbage is an asset.

Q: While the 13th Amendment is not fully implemented, would you be demanding for more powers, if elected to power?

A: In the last budget speech WPC Chief Minister Reginald Cooray said powers to the PCs have been limited to the Constitution only. He also said that the government officials were ignorant of the powers and it was difficult to work. Now he has said this after serving the council for two terms. I think it is ridiculous. It is not the powers that we will be worried about. But to develop areas with the available powers that are already there. Take for instance the schools and the hospitals and so on. The Majority of the schools need proper development. There are a number of schools and hospitals in this province without adequate facilities. There is a severe shortage of teachers and doctors. In Padukka a school is closed down due to shortage of teachers. The Padukka hospital labour room has no basic facilities and the expectant mothers will have to be transferred elsewhere. Then how about the mosquitoe menace and the garbage menace. It is a shame for the Chief Minister to say that he has no powers after serving for two terms. We will do something different.

Q: Another notion expressed by many is that it would be extremely difficult to handle the council by a party that is not in control of the centre. How do you view this?

A: It is only an opinion. But I think, ideally it should be the other way about. Then only true democracy could be exercised.

Q: Do you feel the UNP is fighting a losing battle, given the current UPFA’s popularity gained in the war front?

A: I have second thoughts about the government’s popularity over the war. The present victory in the theatre of war does not only belong to the UPFA. War is like a relay. The baton has now been handed over to the UPFA after many victories. The UNP has always been very strong in eradicating terrorism. In fact, the UNP worked very hard to eradicate terrorism and solve the ethnic problem. We cannot forget the fact that there is an ethnic crisis in the country and military is not the answer to it. Terrorism is defined, in my opinion, as politically motivated violence against people. Certainly the armed personnel are not going to eradicate the problem. The people need to see the bigger picture and not just about dominating lands. Ours is the only party that has become the worse victim of the terrorism in the country. The entire country knows that the UNP lost a host of stalwarts, because the party said no to ‘Eelam’ and no to ‘terrorism’.

Today the government sees the victory because of the UNP. It is the UNP that fragmented the LTTE and took Karuna out of it. And today Karuna is in the government. Another hardcore fighter is the chief minister of a province. This is not because of the UPFA but because of the UNP. When I was the High Commissioner for a short while in Malaysia and when Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Malaysia he wanted to meet the defence minister at that time and requested that if there was any monetary transaction between the LTTE and their supporters, it must not be encouraged by the Malaysian government. Now you can see to what extent Wickremesinghe has been interested to break the LTTE. This is why even the LTTE leader described Ranil as a ‘cunning fox’. So how can anyone say that he is supporting the cause of the LTTE? The credit of the present victory in the war should also go to Ranil Wickremesinghe. The war has been fought by many veterans and this is the final leg.

Q: The party has been going through a series of leadership crises with some seniors even demanding for a change of leadership. As a person working at the grassroots level, do you think the internal squabble in the party has affected the grassroots? And if so, will this go against the UNP at the election?

A: There is no leadership crisis. The hierarchy of the UNP has the knowledge and the experience. We have the right thinking and links with the international community to develop the country. These leaders have to remain and they will remain. The grassroots are not worried about this. They only want the UNP back in power.

Q: Women participation in politics has been less in Sri Lanka although we boast of having elected the first woman prime minister and President in the world. What is your view on this?

A: True, Lankan women are not participating in politics. It is because ours is not a women-friendly politics. Sri Lankan society is largely a male dominated one and it is not that easy for women to contest elections. The other thing is the violence during elections. I don’t think that women can withstand this against the men. The preferential system is such that we need to travel all over and this becomes a problem for a woman. Then of course there is the cost factor. So there are reasons for women not to participate in elections. But don’t forget that women fight for the men’s victory. If you take the last census, 53.8 percent are females. Today it is even more. If we talk of equality let us have equal number of women in parliament. On the other hand, the domestic violence is about 60 %. The low birth rate is 25 %. About 28 % of the females are heading households. During a war it is the women and children who are affected more. 60% of the contribution to the national economy is by women. But what are these jobs that the women are holding? They are low income labour oriented jobs. The women are not in the decision making realm.

Q: What, in your view, have the women already been in politics in the past, done to enhance the lifestyle of women in Sri Lanka?

A: We have not had more than five percent in national politics and less than one percent in the local government level politics. So what can we expect from them? Even this time the UNP is fielding only two women and UPFA one. How can we expect changes?

Q: What in your view can increase women participation in politics?

A: The quota system and the introduction of the first-past-the -post system.

Q: You were earlier criticised for not paying the dues to the building that you occupied to run your business at Alexandra place, Colombo 07. What is the latest position?

A: We have already paid what was due to the National Development Bank (NDB) and are still working hard to settle other dues which we will do sooner or later. Today, my husband is working in the Middle East to earn that extra money to settle all the dues. It is not that easy to do but we are committed to it. I must say that it was a political vendetta the Chandrika Kumaratunga administration took against me and my family because I was supporting the UNP. I have been a political victim and this is the time I went totally bankrupt. Every day two armoured cars were parked opposite my house in those days and we have been harassed and humiliated by the Chandrika government. But we have forgotten about it. I am involved in politics today not to earn but to do something for the country I love most. I could have fled the country like many other thousands of Sri Lankans. But I opted to remain here to bring a change and face the problems that are faced by others. I am not a coward. Still people are trying to sling mud at me. But I like to tell them, that I will not run away.

Source: The Nation