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“The country has developed considerably,” said Rajapaksa, who noted he has no regrets for calling for snap polls, emphasised as he prefers to go before people to seek a fresh mandate at the 8 January presidential election.
He said that the massive infrastructure push undertaken by him since being elected as President in 2005 was an investment for the future benefit of people and the country with such new infrastructure enabling the country and the economy to earn higher income for repayment of loans obtained.
President as well as several Ministers such as Nimal Siripala de Silva, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Anura Yapa Abeywardena and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera dismissed Opposition allegations that infrastructure projects were infested with corruption.
For example, Dr. Jayasundera said most projects funded by EXIM Banks of various countries award contracts after competitive bidding in those countries or sponsoring countries make decisions. He also said that subcontractors for these projects are awarded via a transparent and competitive process. Any revision in estimates is also approved in the same way via recommendations from inter-ministerial committees.
President Rajapaksa said the Government has offered more opportunities for local contractors as they have enhanced their capacity and skills. Dr. Jayasundera chipped in saying any project worth below $ 15 million is awarded exclusively to local firms.
“By encouraging local firms to do these projects, there is an opportunity for them to bid for global projects as many are keen,” Dr. Jayasundera added.
He said that local firms have been given opportunities in the Colombo-Dambulla phase of the Colombo-Jaffna highway project.
Some of these responses were for questions on whether Chinese and other lending is being abused.
Newspaper and electronic media editors were also told that Opposition allegations that borrowings rising rapidly endangering future financial stability of Sri Lanka was misconceived.
“Public debt as a percentage of GDP was a high 104% in 2004. This has been reduced it to 70% today,” Dr. Jayasundera said. The improved borrowing capacity of the Government and fiscal situation was also emphasised.
“The Government has reduced the budget deficit to 4% of GDP from 10% a decade ago. Due to low interest rate environment, the interest cost of the Government has reduced by 50%. Defence expenditure which used to be between 5 and 6% of GDP in the past is now low at 3% of GDP,” Treasury Chief said.
It was also pointed out that $ 1.3 billion spent on Norochcholai Coal Power Plant has been beneficial with lower cost of energy and savings from otherwise having to rely on expensive thermal power generation.
Declaring he was happy to go before the people, President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed confidence of winning the office for the third term, dismissing any real threat from his main opponent.
“I like to go before the people as I have always done,” the President told Editors yesterday during his regular breakfast meeting, probably the last for 2014.
This was in response to a question that, given various accusations, whether he regretted the decision to call a snap election. ‘No, not at all, I am very happy to go before the people any time. This is the democratic principle,” the President said.
He disclosed that after winning the 8 January polls he would assume his third term only in November 2015, suggesting he would cut short his second term by a year. “I will lose one year, just as I lost one year in my first term,” he said.
In a jovial mood, Rajapaksa also said that it seemed heads of Japan and Israel Governments were also opting for snap polls, perhaps following Sri Lanka.
The President also opined that Opposition’s common candidate Maithripala Sirisena wasn’t a threat. “He is just a candidate, a nonentity. I wish him well just like I wished Sarath Fonseka [the former Army Commander who unsuccessfully ran at the 2010 presidential poll]. In my opinion, Ranil Wickremesinghe [UNP Leader] is stronger and a competent candidate, irrespective of his disastrous recent electoral record of having led his party to lose 29 polls in the past,” President Rajapaksa said.
Claiming that the real force behind Sirisena’s candidacy was former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and MP Mangala Samaraweera, Rajapaksa said: “The contest is between me and the Chandrika-Mangala alliance. Ranil is on the sidelines.”
“This is not the first time Kumaratunga has worked against me. She did it in 2005 and again in 2010,” Rajapaksa claimed, referring to the previous presidential polls. “Her actions and comments are full of hatred and anger, which could be because my Government has done what she couldn’t,” Rajapaksa opined.
To suggest that Kumaratunga has her own set of failures, President recalled the saying “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”.
He cautioned the people about ulterior motives of his opponents. “One leader signed a Norway-backed agreement with the LTTE. Another produced the post-tsunami PTOMS. These were against the country and the people. Those who live in glass houses should remember not to throw stones,” the President emphasised.
Referring to one of the campaign themes of the Opposition’s common candidate, Rajapaksa said Sirisena or defectors never spoke of the need to abolish the executive presidency at Cabinet meetings. Rajapaksa also expressed doubt that Sirisena or the Opposition was capable of abolishing the executive presidency.
When a media person referred to fears of revenge against opponents after the election, the President dismissed the need for such fears.
“I am not revenge taker and I don’t believe in it. I have seen history quite well. I haven’t taken revenge after two successful victories in the past,” he said.
“The employees recruited by President Kumaratunga at the Temple Trees are still continuing. Even the person who served tea to you is one recruited by Chandrika. Some of those recruited during her regime are close aids for me. If they are doing a proper job, I have no issues. I have nothing to hide and I have no secrets,” Rajapaksa said.
He also said two of her secretaries – Balapatabendi and Karunaratne – remained Ambassadors after Rajapaksa assumed office and he did not recall either of them.
The President also dismissed the charge made by the Opposition candidate that senior SLFP members have been sidelined.
“Prime Minister Jayaratne, Senior Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and I are the most senior. Other seniors are here, such as Nimal Siripala de Silva. We have not sidelined any of them. I was harassed for years, but I did not leave the party. But I have seen many conspiracies and defections. Several general secretaries left the party, one died, one became a monk. Some others came back. Both the son and daughter of the party’s founder left the party and came back later. We have not done and will never do the wrongs done by the son and daughter. I remained with the party despite all harassment.”
“I have the fullest confidence in my Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament,” he said, when asked if he foresaw any more defections. “When I became the leader, there were only 57 SLFP MPs. Now we have 127,” he said.
The President also insisted that the posters and cut-outs of his image appearing along the streets had been erected by his party supporters for his birthday and not the election. He said that soon after nominations day on Monday he would make sure the posters and cut-outs were removed.
Rajapaksa also insisted that he has no intention of violating election laws and that he had even instructed members of his Government to also follow the law.
Several Ministers who were associated with President during the breakfast meeting recalled that in the early 2000s when the UNP won general elections, the SLFPers were killed or harassed in post-election violence and that this wasn’t the case after UPFA victories since 2005.
19 want to become SL’s next President; nominations end todayThe time period to pay the deposit for a presidential candidate at the upcoming presidential election next month will come to an end today at noon and 19 presidential hopefuls have paid their financial deposits by last Friday. The 19 prospective candidates from 17 political parties and two independent groups for the presidential race include the two main candidates – the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his challenger, common Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena. All candidates are required to make a deposit before submitting nomination. A candidate nominated by a recognised political party is required to pay Rs. 50,000 while an independent candidate is required to pay Rs. 75,000. Nominations for the presidential polls will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on 8 December at the auditorium of the Elections Secretariat at Sarana Mawatha, Rajagiriya. The election will be held on 8 January 2015 and the postal voting will be held on 23 and 24 December. According to the electoral register of 2014, 15,044,490 people are eligible to exercise their franchise on 8 January to elect a President. |
