{"id":22746,"date":"2013-07-15T02:08:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-15T06:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=22746"},"modified":"2013-07-15T02:08:00","modified_gmt":"2013-07-15T06:08:00","slug":"if-the-ltte-could-not-kill-me-after-trying-13-times-how-can-daya-master-and-thamilini-defeat-me-asks-douglas-devananda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=22746","title":{"rendered":"If the LTTE Could Not Kill me after Trying 13 Times How Can Daya Master and Thamilini Defeat Me? Asks Douglas Devananda"},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/p>\n

Ranga Jayasuriya<\/strong><\/p>\n

The government\u2019s front man in the North and Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda, says it has been his dream for the past 20 years to be the Chief Minister of the Northern Province and warns against fielding former LTTE heavyweights in the government ticket for the forthcoming Provincial Council election.He also says the government may be scared of the prospect of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) winning the North, hence, the rush to change the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.\u201cEven the President has said, very openly on several instances that, if Douglas Devananda comes to power in the North, he will have no issues with regard to any form of devolution of powers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Leader of the Eelam People\u2019s Democratic Party (EPDP) spoke to Ranga Jayasuriya of Ceylon Today on a range of issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following are excerpts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Q: Who will be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the government (UPFA) in the Northern Provincial Council election?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: People will have to decide that. Whoever comes has to win the election. As far as the government is concerned, we have not yet decided. Party Secretary, Susil Premajayantha, told me it has not been decided yet.<\/p>\n


\nQ: Are you going to contest?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: There is no special slot for the chief ministerial candidate. The Party Secretary of the winning party has to announce who the Chief Minister will be.<\/p>\n

Q: But, if you contest, you will surely want to be the Chief Minister, provided your party wins the North?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Yes, if I contest, I will be the chief ministerial candidate. I have told my people the sky is the limit for my powers. The sky is the President. But, the President does not like to lose me. He told me several times not to contest but be with him in his Cabinet. So, I have to think about his request as well.<\/p>\n


\nQ:Would you contest?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We are discussing about that\u2026 We are discussing how we are going to contest. I am discussing with the government as well as with our party members about whom we should field. At the moment, I cannot say for sure whether I will contest as the chief ministerial candidate. But, it has been my dream for the last 20 years. But, first, we will have to win the election.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Q: Your dream for the last 20 years has been to be the Chief Minister of the North?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Yes. It has been my dream.<\/p>\n


\nQ: But, you will have some fellow travellers in your own party, with whom you did not enjoy a great relationship, such as Daya Master and KP. But they seem to be a formidable challenge to you now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: They are nobodies. Even if they chose to contest, they would amount to nothing. People know who these people are. They ruined the lives of the Tamil people for so long. They were with the LTTE. Now they have switched sides and are trying to dupe the people. Tamil people are not stupid. Once bitten twice shy. There is a saying in Tamil that when a cat got itself burnt from the cooking fire, it will not even go closer to the fire again. Likewise, Tamil people are scared of these masters. I don\u2019t know why they want to contest in the first place.<\/p>\n


\nQ: Is KP (former Chief Arms Procurer and the successor of Prabhakaran) contesting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: That is up to the government. But I don\u2019t think the government would be foolish enough to let him contest from the government ticket.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Q: Is Thamilini (former Head of the LTTE women\u2019s wing) contesting? The government has been trying to get her in the government\u2019s list earlier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: That is up to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to decide. But, my feeling is, it is not a good move to take these people into the fold of the government. Anyway, it is up to the SLFP to decide whom they want to field from their party. In the past, if you put a stick concealed in a cloak under the TNA ticket, it would have won. That is the extent to which the Tamil people were manipulated by the Tigers. Several people like Anandasangaree and Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam crossed over from the TNA and they lost.<\/p>\n

But I am different. From the very outset, I have been having one policy and I continuously endeavoured along that path. I have never veered away from my path. They are LTTE turncoats. The LTTE tried to kill me 13 times. If the LTTE could not get me, how can Daya Master or Thamilini defeat me? They are nonentities. I am worried about them because, I am concerned about what their entry would augur for the future of the Tamil people. Otherwise, I have no issues with them.<\/p>\n


\nQ: The TNA would be a formidable challenge to you\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Tamil people know who stood by them and refused to run away in their difficult times. And they equally know as to who led them down the precipice. They were manipulated to the extreme ends by the LTTE. People have now realized it. I hope they will vote with that new found conviction. I also believe the government will understand that reality. That does not mean I am against the government. But I am only one element in the government.<\/p>\n

Q: There are allegations the Army is picking SLFP candidates for the Northern Provincial Council election\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: You should ask that question from the Army or the people who have made that allegation.<\/p>\n

Q: But, you are the government\u2019s front man in the North. How is it possible for something like that to happen without your notice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t know how the SLFP is selecting candidates. But, since I am there, they consult me and discuss with me about whom they (SLFP) are going to field under the UPFA. But, before they consult me, they may be vetting their candidates. I don\u2019t know the process.<\/p>\n


\nQ: You strongly advocate for the 13th Amendment. But your government wants to weaken it\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: The government may be afraid of the TNA. Fair enough. Even the President has said, very openly on several instances that, if Douglas Devananda comes to power in the North, he will have no issues with regard to any form of devolution of powers. The 13th Amendment is one of my dreams. It should be the basis for finding a solution for the ethnic question.<\/p>\n


\nQ: You have said about 38 government party members in Parliament are for the 13th Amendment\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I never referred to that number.<\/p>\n


\nQ: But, a weekend newspaper quoted you as saying that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I did not say that number. I said a certain number of government members are for the 13th Amendment. I don\u2019t know how the paper got that number. When there are rain clouds and when a monkey jumps from a tree branch to another, it makes sure, that it would not crash to the ground, missing a tree branch. This is a very cloudy moment. I did not say the government would fail to get the two-thirds majority. I only said some government ministers are supporting my position on the 13th Amendment.<\/p>\n

Q: What are your options if the government continues with its plan to change the 13th Amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: The 13th Amendment is part of an agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the Indian Government. So, if the government brings any changes, the government will definitely discuss with us. The government has now appointed a Parliament Select Committee (PSC). I am one of the pioneers, who proposed that a PSC should be appointed. The government has discussed those matters with me. I hope they will take into account my opinions as well.<\/p>\n

Q: However, the government seems to have decided to change the 13th Amendment, come hell or high water…<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I will take the right decision at the right time. I will canvas for my position within the PSC.<\/p>\n


\nQ Has the President spoken to you about the government\u2019s plans for the 13 Amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Not yet. I was supposed to meet him today, but he got held up in Kandy. He called me just before you came. I will meet him in the coming days. We have discussed about the 13th Amendment in the government party leaders\u2019 meeting, but, we failed to reach a consensus.<\/p>\n


\nQ: As far as the PSC is concerned, of course you are there, and Vasudeva is there, but a number of ministers who are in favour of the 13th Amendment have been excluded from the PSC. Instead, you have people like Patali Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa, who are vehemently against the 13th Amendment, included in the PSC. The composition of the PSC itself is favouring the anti-devolution brigade. Is not it clear the government is favouring nationalist groups, who want to weaken the 13th Amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: This is a coalition government. There are people of various political dispositions. I don\u2019t think the President would take sides. When we went to China as part of the presidential delegation, I was seated next to Wimal (Weerawansa) and the President joked the 13 plus and 13 minus were seated together and asked whether we were going to fight over the 13th Amendment inside the plane. I believe we will be able to reach a consensus in the PSC and that the PSC will take the right decision.<\/p>\n


\nQ: So, in the flight, did you speak to Wimal about the 13th Amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We understand each other very well. So there is no problem.<\/p>\n


\nQ: What have you heard about the Indian position on the government\u2019s plans to amend the 13th Amendment? Have you heard anything from New Delhi?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: That is a different country and a different government. I hope Basil Rajapaksa has been successful in handling the situation.<\/p>\n


\nQ: However, it seems, according to reports India has informed him the 13th Amendment should not be changed. What have you heard?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I have not spoken to him yet. The 13th Amendment is part of an agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the Indian Government. The Sri Lankan Government has to handle the situation.<\/p>\n


\nQ: The United National Party (UNP) has boycotted the PSC and opposed the changes to the 13th Amendment. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has boycotted the PSC as well…<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: When they are in the opposition, they oppose for the sake of opposing. They should have participated in the PSC and contributed to the deliberations.<\/p>\n

Q: The Left parties have also voiced their opposition to the changes proposed to the 13th Amendment. They have also said they would vote against any changes that would dilute the devolution attributes of the 13th Amendment\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: As Left parties, they may have acted according to their principles. I hope they will make their position felt when the matters are taken up at the PSC.<\/p>\n


\nQ: Since the entire opposition has boycotted the PSC, it would only reflect the government\u2019s view. What is the point of having a PSC like this in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I proposed this PSC. Unfortunately, the opposition has now boycotted it, but they have opposed it for the sake of opposing. If they are a genuine opposition, they should sit in the PSC. But, we cannot wait forever for them. We will proceed with the PSC on our own.
\n
\nCOURTESY:CEYLON TODAY<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Ranga Jayasuriya The government\u2019s front man in the North and Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda, says it has been his dream for the past 20 years to be the Chief Minister of the Northern Province and warns against fielding former LTTE heavyweights in the government ticket for the forthcoming …<\/p>\n

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