Sri Lanka is a nation in transition. It will soon see a constitutional change, ushering in the prime ministerial system that will replace the overbearing executive presidency system. And, spearheading this change is Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The United National Party (UNP) leader has support from his one-time rival and now ally Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by President Maithripala Sirisena, and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Sinhala forces, however, are rallying behind former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who hopes to make a comeback. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Wickremesinghe:
The political situation in Sri Lanka seems to have changed after you took charge in 2015 and after the election of Maithripala Sirisena as president.
Yes. This change in the country has come after the election of Sirisena as the president of Sri Lanka. I became the prime minister of the minority government. For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, our parties, the UNP and the SLFP, came together and no one was opposed to us forming the government. This is a major achievement in the politics of Sri Lanka. I don’t think it has happened in any part of south Asia. There is definitely political stability....
For us, the war had been the biggest setback in the last three decades. Unfortunately after the war, there wasn’t any development. We are in the process of rebuilding the nation. After the economy opened up in 1977, there had not been any development. Exactly 15 years later, India’s economy opened up. But India did not have any war. Similarly, Vietnam opened up in 1992. China opened up only two years after us. But they are ahead of us. To overcome this, we had to form the national government and the best was to have political stability. In the next election whoever or whichever party wins, there has to be political stability.
You are spearheading a major constitutional change that aims to put an end to the executive presidency and usher in a prime ministerial system.
We are not challenging the authority of the parliament; we are only remaking the constitution. A major step towards this is that we have formed a steering committee and six sub-committees. The committees focus only on the constitution. They are trying to reach a consensus on devolution of powers, abolishing executive presidency and will look into key areas—nature of the state, religion, the exercise of the executive, legislative and judicial powers.... We can debate on this in the background of the interim report given by the committees. It is a long process. And, no one has an overall majority in parliament. Therefore, it is a question of finding a common ground.
Has everyone agreed on doing away with the overbearing executive presidency?
Most of the parties have agreed; few more parties are yet to agree with it. Some equation has to be arrived with them.
The new constitution was expected to be in place in January. What is causing the delay?
We are trying to bring it as fast as it can be done, but there is no specific time frame. As I said (earlier), it is a long process. It means agreeing on principles. There are details in every key issue and every issue seems to be a big issue. It depends on the reports submitted by the committees.
Will the new constitution play an important role in protecting the cause of the Tamils?
The constitution wants to emphasise on the Sri Lankan identity, where the law applies equally to all the people in all the provincial councils. Powers given to all the provincial councils will be protected. Similarly, we are looking at what additional powers can be devolved on the provincial councils. Likewise, the Tamil parties are also discussing the framework of the constitution and the powers to the provincial councils.
Will there be an agreement on devolution of land and police powers?
All those issues are now in the sub-committee report. As far as devolution of powers is concerned, the TNA has some proposals. The other provincial council chief ministers have also made their proposals. Of them, seven represent the majority Sinhalese. Everything is being discussed and looked at.
Are you satisfied with the reconciliation process in the country?
Everyone is committed to rebuild the nation and the economy. But the reconciliation process will take time, as you know. I am satisfied with whatever is happening in the resettlement and rehabilitation process. It is something that has to be built up and I am satisfied.
One of the major issues in the recent days in Sri Lanka is the opposition to the industrial development project in Hambantota Port.
The Mahinda Rajapaksa group has protested. It is peculiar for them to protest. They are the ones who initiated the project. They are the ones who talked to China. And, they are the ones who wanted the project to go ahead....
The protests against Hambantota have been flaring up with each passing day. Is it not disturbing the government?
Not at all. It is not going up day by day. It was only a one-day protest. Let them protest. They are bringing out their voices.
What are the major infrastructure projects that Sri Lanka is currently looking at?
In the upper Indian Ocean, we have two corridors, the Kandy-Colombo-Vellavaya corridor, connecting the harbour and the operational airport. This will have two harbours and two airports, just like how India has the Mumbai-Delhi corridor. The second one, Japan is working on the development of the Kandy town. Then the third is called the north-east corridor. It is the Trincomalee area development project, carried out by a Singaporean firm. Other than this, India and Japan are making Trincomalee one of the major ports of Bay of Bengal. So, the Colombo harbour, the Hambantota harbour and the Trincomalee harbour and the two airports will be the major infrastructure projects. Also, the tourism industry is growing and we are trying to get it in place. We have the infrastructure developed in the western part of the country. We are now trying to bring development in the south and finally to the north and the east.
What do you have to say about the opposition to your working relationship with China?
I don’t think there is any opposition to our working relationship with China. I don’t think former president Rajapaksa has objected to our relationship with China. We have a relationship with every other nation in South Asia. We have good relationship with China, India, Japan, Singapore, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Our policy is to be friendly with everyone. Under former President Rajapaksa, the country was anti-western and anti-Indian. Some say we are going to sell the country to Indians, some others say we are going to sell the country to the Chinese under the Hambantota agreement, to Japan under the Kandy agreement, to Singapore under the Trincomalee development. They say we are going to sell the country to the Americans—I ask, is it to President Obama or to the new President Trump.
The Chinese investment in both defence and infrastructure has been a cause of worry for India.
I don’t think it is a concern for India. We have investments by Japanese, Singaporeans, Indians and Chinese. The Indian media has created this [issue].
The Tamil Nadu politics has had an impact on the Sri Lankan politics. With Jayalalithaa’s death and an ageing Karunanidhi, what do you have to say about the new dispensation?
Our official relations are with Delhi. Under Prime Minister Modi, our official relations with India are excellent. Our relationship with Tamil Nadu has gone on for thousands of years. With similar culture, there will not be any change in the existing cordial relationship with not only Tamil Nadu but all South Indian states. In fact, Chandra Babu Naidu was here last week to discuss infrastructure and development. Five South Indian states and Sri Lanka put together can be a major sub region.
With India, the main contentious issue is the fishermen issue. How do you think this can be resolved?
Fishermen is not a contentious issue. It is a contentious issue for just the fishermen and not between Sri Lanka and India. It can be resolved only if bottom trawling is stopped and it will be stopped.
Rajapaksa says he will make a comeback this year.
He is like Santa Claus.
Do you think he is going to come back?
No. He cannot make a comeback.
He has been talking about his comeback very often now.
If he doesn’t talk about it, he cannot exist. He will lose his base, if he doesn’t talk.
Does the rift in the SLFP—the pro-Rajapaksa and the pro-Sirisena group—affect the unity of the present government?
We function as two major parties. We have a very good working relationship. We talk about issues, we discuss and debate and we get along together, unlike the BJP and the Congress in India.
On the economic front, how is the country doing?
We are working towards stabilising the economy. The macroeconomic stabilisation programme is under way. We are looking at better revenue collection and better management of public funds. There are challenges. We have to look at growth and create employment. But there is severe drought this year, which is again affecting our economic growth.
What is the economic situation in the war-affected Northern Province?
It is going to a take a long time in the North as the war had affected the economy there. But we are working towards economic development in the North. We have given special concessions for investments in the North.
How do you look at the demand for international investigation into war crimes?
The investigation so far has been satisfactory. There is no need for an international investigation.
What do you have to say about resettlement and rehabilitation in the war-affected Northern Province?
In the war-affected North, the focus is on rehabilitation and the work is going on. As far as resettlement is concerned it is happening in a fast pace.
