We are not seeking 2/3rds in Parliament, only a simple majority Chathuranga Abeysinghe

• We are the only Party who didn’t make false promises. We said that we will take away the VAT on essential goods and services which will cost us Rs. 60 billion
• There were a lot of allegations against the NPP which were not true and people are realising that those were false allegations
• People have been agreeing to the current Constitution for so many years. Those who have ruled have not made an honest attempt to change this

National People’s Power (NPP) Executive Committee member and Colombo District Candidate Chathuranga Abeysinghe guarantees a new political culture if people vote for the NPP at the upcoming election. He also believes that a simple majority is enough to pass legislature and invites the Opposition to be part of the change that Sri Lanka needs. In a candid interview with the Daily Mirror, Abeysinghe responded to various allegations made against the Party, NPP’s vision to drive the country forward and his plans for Colombo. 

Excerpts : 

Q:How is your campaign going as a first time candidate in the run-up to the Parliamentary Elections?

The presidential election was one stop for us but the second hurdle is the Parliamentary Election and we knew we had to face it. That was our plan. So we are executing what we have planned and we see an interest among people who didn’t vote. There were a lot of allegations against the NPP which were not true and people are realising that those were false allegations. They also would like to know us, know our policies so I think it’s a very interesting campaign and we are addressing people who didn’t vote for us. I think there’s a great enthusiasm. I run from Kotte and we have a particular way of working in our Party and each candidate has their own areas to work for. I have been working on Kotte and also my professional networks. It’s quite interesting and I’m enjoying the first time attempt. 

Q:One of the major allegations that was thrown your way after the NPP government assumed power was that they too are following Ranil Wickremesinghe’s path. What are your comments? 

What was the path that was left open to us? We have a bankrupt country, a broken system and we are in an IMF agreement. So we all knew what we had to face. Our mandate was to adhere the agreements as a country. We can’t deny it. Even two days before, the previous government had agreed on the bond restructuring as well. So there was less room for us to negotiate but our main focus was to ensure that we keep this momentum going and getting the required facilities fast, ensuring that Sri Lanka’s economic stability is established and also to get the support so that we could get the credit rating very soon for this country. So we are very pragmatic in that sense. We communicated our requirements to the IMF and the changes we are looking for. That is being discussed and will be presented in the upcoming budget. So currently we have to work within the budget that was there and this is very much an interim government and we are not open to make substantial or drastic changes because we have only three politicians running the entire country now. We take this as a phase of stability and when we have the people’s mandate to fully implement the policies that we mentioned we will act upon them. What people need to understand is what is the outcome for the country. Now it’s running smoothly, investments are flowing in, the exchange rate has stabilised, the Central Bank is doing what it should do to ensure monetary stability and I think so far what the government has taken as decisions have been positive for the country.

Q:Another issue is with regards to the government workers’ salaries. Concerns have been raised as to whether the government is going back on what they promised and whether these were mere election promises?

We are the only Party who didn’t give false promises. Every other Party did. We clearly said that we will take away the VAT of essential goods and services which will cost us Rs. 60 billion. This will adjust the PAYE taxes which could cost us another Rs. 60 billion. The total would be Rs. 120 billion and that is for the next financial year. It was Ranil Wickremesinghe who tried to give false promises which were impossible to fulfill and tried to garner votes from state sector employees. But he failed to do so. What he is claiming now is not true. He would have made a decision on his own but no allocations or funds remain in the treasury to give a salary increment at this point. This is very clear. People are very much aware of this change and what it means. It is not a government change and changing a certain set of people and promising something fancy and coming to power. We proposed a system change, we proposed a reduction in unwanted expenditure, a different political culture and the entire state sector is physically observing and feeling the difference of Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Vijitha Herath. State sector employees are open for change, they need dignity, they need respect of citizens which they never had and therefore they are strongly supporting the new government.  

Q:Many senior politicians stepped down from the elections race claiming that they are going to take a ‘temporary break’ from politics. People are now of the view that none of the Parties should get a 2/3rds majority in Parliament. Your comments?

People have been agreeing to the current Constitution for so many years. Those who have ruled have not made an honest attempt to change this. Just because an alternative Party is in power the different discussions can be highlighted. We are also not seeking 2/3rds and that’s a reality. We are seeking a strong and stable government for us to ensure that the policies that we implement, the Budget to be passed and legislature that needs to be passed with a simple majority. In terms of getting the Constitutional change and major changes we would work on a new Constitution and there we would actually like to see the Opposition being part of the change that Sri Lanka needs. The Constitution has been amended 21 times and it’s all over the place. For democracy’s sake there should be a strong Opposition but not at the cost of weakening the current government. That’s why we are saying that the purpose of people now is to give a strong mandate to the current President and the policies because we didn’t get the majority mandate. This is why we are fighting hard. We are going for a very strong government and we think we can get that. 

Q:People have frowned upon nepotism in politics. They are now pointing fingers at the NPP because your father has been a longstanding member of the NPP and now you too have entered the fray. What do you have to say?

This is a party decision. Nepotism in politics in Sri Lanka is known to be power transfer from father to son, father to daughter and husband to wife. My father did his politics in universities and then he was a government servant who then joined the NPP in 2016 and played his role in the Party. Similarly, I joined in 2019 and the Party gave me a role and I have done it. So we are taking two different responsibilities. The Party has also decided that there is no conflict in using both our knowledge in the transformation we want to do. I represent a particular set of knowledge and he has enough knowledge on public health and administration. Both of us have fought for what we believe in. I’m not doing politics because of my father and vice versa. That old narrative doesn’t work anymore. It’s up to us now to showcase and behave in a way that people will understand it’s about people making change and it’s not about whether you are father or son. We rejected traditional politics because the father or son came to power using the power they previously had. We don’t take that allegation as it comes and I want people to understand the two of us individually and make choices. 

Q:What is one change you wish to see in the Colombo District?

The education standards from pre-school to primary school are very weak. In areas such as Kotte, the drug issue is the biggest problem that is dismantling the entire fabric of society. These are key issues that the NPP needs to fix immediately.

Q:What is your message for the voters?

Our generations have fought very hard to change this political culture. Here we have that opportunity to ensure that people with public interest, capability, honesty and integrity are appointed as officials and representatives. We now have a party that would ensure that these particular individuals would work according to a particular framework and a policy. If we make this significant change at the upcoming election the politics of this country is going to change forever. If you vote for the NPP at the next election, we ensure that a new political culture will be established and Sri Lanka will go forward and not backwards.