• I still maintain that the President has to go, and I thought it’s better to put my hand in the dragon’s mouth and try to sort this out rather than staying out and criticizing the damage already done. I cannot see my country fall
• I have done my part for the SJB and I don’t blame them for taking disciplinary action because they need to do that. So that others may not go from the party and prevent the flood gates from being opened
• Actually, I have put up a time bomb inside my own pocket and I don’t know when it will burst, but I’m trying to delay it as much as possible and make sure that we settle in as a nation
• The President has a mandate but he’s not accepted by the people of the country. Therefore, he is on his way out and he needs a safe exit because the crisis of the country is so deep
• For me, I’m not answerable to the president. I believe I’m answerable to the people and the cabinet and Parliament of Sri Lanka. The President has a mandate but he’s not accepted by the people of the country
• I probably believe it’s not only about Gotabaya Rajapaksa, it’s bigger than that. It’s about the country and Gotabaya Rajapaksa could be the sitting president right now
• I also feel that may be Ranil Wickremesinghe is not the solution, but he’s the surgeon at this moment. I believe Sajith Premadasa will be the next leader of this country

Tourism Minister and SJB MP Harin Fernando has come out strong on his decision to go against the SJB policies by accepting a portfolio in the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration saying he did not want to waste his time only in criticisms but wanted to help the nation come out of the crisis. In an interview with Daily Mirror, Fernando said he will continue to push for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign but in the meantime would be the voice of the people in the cabinet. 

 Q  Minister, you’ve taken up a portfolio under President Gotabaya Raapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe but you were one of those who kept on coming on social media saying ‘sir failed’ and was quite critical of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Administration. Isn’t it now a little bit of a disappointment seeing you let go of this criticism and accepting a portfolio under the GR cabinet? 

Sri Lanka is in a deep crisis. We don’t even know how we will manage this country for the next week. It’s beyond Party politics at this moment. I would say I still maintain that ‘Sir Failed’. I still continue with that and it’s time for the President to leave.

Where the ‘Sir Fail’ slogan is concerned, I believe even though Sir failed, we cannot let the country fail because of Sir’s failures. So therefore it is a huge decision I have to make whether I standby my party or my country.
Therefore, this decision was hard because I was one of the founding members of the SJB and at any point, I have not left the SJB. But we have had this internal argument in our party for the last one and half months saying that this would come to the current situation and we need to step in as the opposition. So, I believe we are partly responsible as the opposition for not standing up and delivering what we are supposed to. We got it on a platter to accept and show, but all we’ve been doing is criticizing on how we can change it.  

I feel we need to deliver now, keeping aside party politics. So, therefore, even though, sir failed, even though it’s against my conscience, to except a portfolio, I had to accept it for my country. I’m human and I still maintain that the President has to go, and I thought it’s better to put my hand in the dragon’s mouth and try to sort this out rather than staying out and criticizing the damage already done. I cannot see my country fall.

 Q  How do you intend to work with a leader who you continuously say, has failed? Because end of the day, while you are answerable to the nation, you are also answerable to your president?

I don’t believe that is correct. Because, currently what we were assured by the new prime minister is that he will abolish the executive presidency. We will bring in the 20th Amendment which will reduce the President’s powers. For me, I’m not answerable to the president. I believe I’m answerable to the people and the cabinet and Parliament of Sri Lanka. The President has a mandate but he’s not accepted by the people of the country. Therefore, he is on his way out and he needs a safe exit because the crisis of the country is so deep. 

See, just weeks ago, we saw how people who love Mahinda Rajapaksa turn against him. On May 9, if Mahinda Rajapaksa was caught by those mobs, he would have been hacked to death. So therefore, I probably believe it’s not only about Gotabaya Rajapaksa, it’s bigger than that. It’s about the country and Gotabaya Rajapaksa could be the sitting president right now but if we are going back to the 19th Amendment and we are pushing to abolish the executive presidency, then it’s a matter of time that he will have a graceful exit. And that’s what we’re trying to do. And right now, if we do not take this responsibility I do not see the country moving forward and even though some people say we should have gone for an election, I don’t think that’s what the people want and I don’t think that’s what I want either, because we are suffering with massive burdens like the food crisis, electricity, fuel, gas, medicine, education and health crisis. 

 Q  So now do you feel that you are the hero? Do you think you can come and make a change? What can the people expect with your sudden entry? 

What people can expect from me is to be the voice of the people inside the cabinet. Making sure we are part of getting the President out. I could rather stay out and criticize, but people are not happy with the SJB’s role as well.
So I think it’s time to accept that the opposition also has acted differently. I didn’t want to cross over or I haven’t crossed over. So I would say that I’m currently independent. And I didn’t want to make this decision individually instead I wanted to make it as a party decision. The SJB only kept making decisions but when I said I’m going to go independent, it was only then that they asked for the prime minister-ship, only when I said I am leaving. But by that time it was too late. You see, even in 2019 Ranil Wickremesinghe was not doing right by Sajith. So together, we built this party, and named Sajith the presidential candidate. 

Back then, my decision was based for my party and its members. But today in 2022, the decision is made on behalf of the country. So, today, it’s not about my people, or my party people, it’s beyond that as it’s about the entire country because I think we need to unite as one. If one man, who had only one seat in Parliament, can become the Prime Minister, then we as the opposition can do more. I also feel that may be Ranil Wickremesinghe is not the solution, but he’s the surgeon at this moment. I believe Sajith Premadasa will be the next leader of this country. I may not be able to get work with him again, but I went with my conscience this time for the sake of the country. 

 Q  Sajith Premadasa is currently the opposition leader in Parliament and what you said was true because, people are extremely disappointed with him that he has failed to fulfill his role. From all what you have explained, you are a man who has been with Sajith right throughout. Do you think he has failed as the Opposition Leader?

I believe to a certain extent. Yes. But I don’t think Sajith has failed only with his decision making and delaying tactics. I think he had failed by the people.
But I can say he is a committed man. Sajith does his politics very seriously and commits all his time to it. I think he has failed only in his decision making as it was not the right time dilly-dallying and that’s what actually brought us here. 

 Q  After your decision to take up the portfolio, your party doesn’t want you. They are contemplating disciplinary action against you. Some sections are calling for you and Manusha Nanayakkara to be sacked. By the looks of it, I don’t think that you are going to have a party left?

I disagree. I think SJB really knows what I have done for that party. And I do believe Sajith Premadasa more than anyone knows that. Even in the recent events organised from Kandy to Colombo. Everything in the event was done by me. The logo launched during the Parliamentary election was also by me. I have done my part for the SJB and I don’t blame them for taking disciplinary action because they need to do that. So that others may not go from the party and prevent the flood gates from being opened. The party will be compelled to take action and this is quite normal and quite natural when someone goes against party decisions. But right now I am not too bothered about it.
By taking this portfolio, it is a risk I have taken. Actually I have put up a time bomb inside my own pocket and I don’t know when it will burst, but I’m trying to delay it as much as possible and make sure that we settle in as a nation.

 Q  Why do you say that you have a time bomb inside your pocket? Why do you think it’s going to burst?

Because of the current situation, if we do not fix these problems, if we do not fix these queues, if we do not get the funding in to Sri Lanka, we will not have food to eat. We will not be able to step out. So many parliamentarians’ and politicians’ houses have got burnt. It’s taking a very ugly and a different turn. So therefore you’re risking yourself. So I jumped into this with a time bomb as in if we do not perform, it will burst. 

 Q  But you have been seated with this government for quite a few days now. What are you hearing? You think they’re on the right track? Do you think these queues will end?

What we are looking at is three months. The first three months, we are trying to calm the situation, get the fuel and the gas and get the country running. I’ve taken a massive Ministry, which is an important Ministry in Sri Lanka because more than 12% to 14% rely on the tourism industry. That’s where the foreign remittances come in.
Even Manusha Nanayakkara took a similar decision and taken the foreign Employment Ministry. We used to get more than 7.1 billion foreign remittances into Sri Lanka, now this has reduced to less than 500 million. 
So it’s a massive hit. But we still have over 4,000 jobs to fill in Korea, almost 1,500 in Europe, and there are jobs available in Japan. We need this revenue. If we work as a team at this moment for three months not looking at party politics, I think we can turn things around. Even though I have to sit with people who I do not believe in due to different political ideologies, I have to sit there to make sure we settle the country down. So, I believe, when a man has the guts to take it on, he should do it. 

 Q  Today, when you walk on the road compared to last week, people might say Harin go home, Harin fail. This has already started on social media?

I believe here the media has to be very responsible at least for three months. Make some positive news. A day after I took the portfolio, I went out and people recognized me. They all started cheering which is strange as they supported by decision. And then I sang a few songs with them as well. They did not criticize me.
They just kept on telling me, please make sure you do something right. If we get divided by party politics, people will criticize us. They will attack my decisions. Now, today, I’m being harassed by the SJB. Before that I was getting harassed by the SLPP. Now the SLPP is quiet. That is how politics work but that is not what the people want.

 Q  Can you walk into ‘GotaGoGama’ today at Galle Face? 

I met most of the people in ‘GotaGoGama’ in my office. We need to stop this bloodshed because I’m very worried as even the ministers and the MPs houses got burnt. They are also having a massive anger and if we instigate the matter, it could create more violence. Violence is not acceptable in any form. I think my work will prove to the people that I am genuinely here to help the country at this time of crisis.

 Q  Social media is filled with the fact that you are now in the Rajapaksa camp. There are allegations that you got sold for Rs. 100 million to Rs.150 million. Is this true?

The answer to this is easy. Anyone can apply for a Right to Information (RTI) and get my assets declaration and even my bank accounts and my Over Drafts (ODs) and they can see for themselves. I’m lucky enough to be blessed with a good and wealthy father. The wealth I got is from him. I can prove it.

 Q  Minister, the 21st Amendment got presented to Parliament. But this does not abolish the executive presidency but only reduces the Powers of the President. What are the other clauses?

We agreed to join this government because they assured us that the executive presidency will be abolished. I have also spoken to Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe of the provisions. First we are going back to the 19th Amendment. So dual citizens will have to go. This means Basil will have to go. Then two out of three Rajapaksas will be gone. People are also asking how we can get back the monies stolen by them. So we are looking at implementing the same law that was imposed in Hong Kong where investigators can probe into the assets of corrupt politicians and then apprehend them. However first and foremost we must ensure that people have food and the queues end.