D. M. Jayaratne
Prime Minister

(November 18th is the 67th birthday of President Mahinda Rajapaksa)

The year was 1994 when the UFPA Government was formed after 17 years of UNP rule. The victory ushered an era free of post-election violence, a time of joy and happiness enabling the entire population of the country to breath a sigh of relief. As the General Secretary of the alliance I worked relentlessly amid numerous hardships, sometimes even foregoing meals and satisfying my hunger with just a glass of water.

As a result of dedication, hard-work, untiring efforts, and courage of all SLFPers and sympathizers, Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga became the President of the country. That election left an indelible memory of a very special incident in my mind and that prompted me to write this article.

When the time came to appoint the cabinet and allocate the various portfolios, it was after several rounds of discussions that Mahinda Rajapaksa, the people-friendly politician, was named Minister of Labour and Vocational Training. The government began its work and hardly an year had passed when Minister Rajapaksa started delivering results.

To everybody’s astonishment he launched a massive program to find sustainable solutions to the burning problems of the working class. Many labour issues that received only the lip-service from his predecessors were solved by him. He sometimes took on even the president, arguing hotly to urge his viewpoint for the benefit of the working class. His was the ‘voice of people’ in the cabinet.

A most challenging job for Mahinda as the Minister of Labour and Vocational Training was to draft the Workers Charter for the benefit of the entire labour force of the country. The minister managed to complete this task by the end of 1995. Another important bill enacted by the Parliament during his tenure was the Vocational Training Authority Act. Even 15 years since its enactment, I am of the view that this Act serves as a very important piece of legislation that has opened doors for advancement of those not selected to universities to pursue their careers.

I’ve been told a very interesting story by a most reliable source about Mahinda, as labour minister, that is worth repeating here. He was in the office room of his official bungalow at Wijerama Mawatha, discussing the day’s program with his private secretary one morning in 1996. A certain person had walked into the room seeking the minister’s assistance to sell a property at Bristol Street, Fort, belonging to himself to the Employees’ Trust Fund and offered a bribe of Rs. 80 million to accomplish this task. This was the first such nasty experience in Mahnida’s political and private life and the proposition enraged him. He sprang from his chair and his fury, apparent in his face and demeanour, made his visitor vanish post haste. He obviously realized what would follow. It was several minutes before Mahinda cooled down. Hearing this story made my respect for him grow by leaps and bounds.

Mahinda Rajapaksa never represented the urban bourgeois and this resulted in the capitalist class viewing him with suspicion. When it became known that Mahinda was becoming the President of the SLFP, the capitalist class in the country was clearly apprehensive.

This leader with roots among the hardy peasantry of the South had his own ideas about the direction the country should take and how it should be governed. His was a formula untried by previous leaders. Through this novel approach, he has been able to enthrone himself in the minds and hearts of the people as “The Great Leader Who Saved the Country.”

Mahinda Rajapaksa had the courage to unite the country and proved his mettle as a fine leader. There are those who say that his concept of “Wonderful Sri Lanka” is limited to billboards. That was a dream that Mahinda had when he first became the youngest Member of the then Parliament – Infrastructure development, modernization of rural roads, flyovers, airports, ports and harbours were all part of his plans for the country’s development. He spent time on his development strategy even when the war was raging and the fiercest fighting was impeding the forward march of the country.

The decision taken by him, as the supreme commander of the three Armed Forces, to completely eradicate the LTTE and free those imprisoned by terror in areas the Tigers controlled is ample testimony to his commitment and bold decision making.

That historic decision is testimony to his courage, determination and statesmanship in a measure unrivalled by previous leaders of the country. Apart from Sri Lanka’s leaders, even the most powerful nations of the world had over-estimated the strength of the LTTE as an invincible terrorist organization. Instead of helping to defeat LTTE terrorism, the nations of the Western world and Europe constantly tried to persuade Sri Lanka Government to arrive at a negotiated settlement, which the LTTE leaders never wanted, instead of militarily defeating Prabhakaran.

Mahinda’s was a different understanding of the situation. He was very well aware of the immense pressure that would be mounted against a military solution both at home and abroad. But none of this could change his mind. He knew that there will be pressure from within the country and internationally as well.

But none of these pressures could change his decision. He was determined to completely eradicate separatism and end the war which had been a money spinner for some politicians. He had the strength to do what had to be done, resisting opposition both from within and outside his government.

No country ever had perfect leaders. Even the greatest leaders have had their weaknesses. Through my own experience, I could say that Mahinda is the closest to the perfect leader I have ever met.

Sri Lanka needs a fully-fledged public service to strengthen the hands of its leader. It is a matter of regret that the government service lacks the desired level of quality and efficiency that is desired. Government servants were in the forefront of the struggle to bring Mahinda to office. The best respect they can give him is to perform their duties efficiently and responsibly instead of engaging in false flattery.

Our leader is a man with a big heart and great love for the people of this country. I think there are people around him who take advantage of his good nature and damage his image. His kindness sometimes causes him difficulties, I believe. The President must be careful in choosing his trusted lieutenants. In my opinion, this is a time that the president’s mettle will be rigorously tested and I am confident that he has the strength and ability to overcome any challenge that may be put before him.COURTESY:SUNDAY ISLAND