(UTV|COLOMBO) – In a wide-ranging interaction with the nation’s news media managers yesterday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa held out an olive branch to Switzerland over the alleged ‘abduction’ complaint by its Colombo embassy staffer while also reassuring citizens and business that the Government’s recent sweeping tax revisions would remain in place throughout his presidency in order to ensure a stable investment climate.
The President also repeated his firm position on the ethnic issue expressed during his earlier interview with Indian news media, that no further political changes are feasible due to the lack of support from the majority community.
Pointing out that the SLPP alliance’s sole Tamil politician, Douglas Devanandan, had been given the nationally important portfolio of Fisheries precisely so that Devananda could concretely contribute to northern development, the President hoped that the Tamil people would positively respond to this move.
The Swiss Embassy has been very co-operative with regard to the probe on the alleged abduction of one of its Sri Lankan employees but the employee concerned has not been co-operative with the police investigators, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told national news channel directors and newspaper editors at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
He said that the embassy employee concerned “keeps on getting sick which hampers the investigations”. However, the President pointed out that the other material evidence available, such as CCTV footage, the Uber taxi driver’s testimony and, telephone records, “all clearly indicate that such abduction never took place”.
The President said that Ambassador has first brought this issue up with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and an investigation was promptly launched. “I must thank the Ambassador and his staff for his co-operation and we have no issue with them.”
President observed that some politicians were “making a big issue on this”. “I was also surprised to note that the New York Times had published a report with regard to this incident even before I came to know about it. I was also surprised to see that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa too had made a statement with regard to this issue without gathering authentic information.”
Asked why no action has been taken with regard to comments made by former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne about the ‘White Vans drivers’ episode, the President noted that “politicians are famous for uttering lies and fabricating stories which people do not accept”. “When he (Rajitha) came out with this white van story and about feeding so called abducted people to Crocodiles, people not only did not believe them but also disliked that viewpoint.
In fact I think I got another 200, 000 votes more due to this fabricated story. I wished the Opposition had done more such mudslinging campaigns which would have brought me additional one million votes.”
“I must say that I have now been made the victim of all this controversy.”
Asked to comment on his political and development agenda for the North He said that it’s a clear fact that the majority of Tamils and Muslims did not vote for me. “However unlike in the previous Ministerial apportionments I have given one of the best and most productive Ministries Fisheries to a Tamil Politician, Douglas Devandanda.”
He can not only develop the fisheries sector which is a key area to the North but would also be able to tackle the Indian Fishers issue. The President also said that several religious leaders especially in the North have requested him to bring in more industries to the region and also have more vocational training centers and these requests would be addressed.
“I must say that the Tamils were misled for decades by politicians promising them various power sharing options. “If the majority is not in agreement such political options cannot go further. I personally believe that more than any political change, the people of the North and East will appreciate economic development.”
With regard to constitutional reform, the President insisted that the 19th Amendment would be dropped. I don’t have any respect for the 19th Amendment which should be reversed soon.”
Commenting on the continued complaints about wartime disappearance of people in the North and East, the President pointed out that both the Tamils and Sinhalese experienced such a loss due to disappearance of people in the war situation. Soldiers too went missing during the war because bodies cannot be recovered in such situations. The armed forces incurred over 6,000 missing in action with their bodies not recovered. The same fate awaited the LTTE fighters who died in action. I must clearly say that we are not hiding any Tamil youth. Wives and relatives know about this but don’t like to believe that their loved one is killed.”
He said that all provincial governors had been instructed to take quick and comprehensive action on the dengue epidemic. “We have also brought genetically modified mosquito larvae from Singapore and tests are being carried out before releasing them.”
He reiterated that Parliamentary elections would be held first either in March or April and that the provincial council elections would be conducted thereafter. The SLPP’s general election campaign would be led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa while national organiser Basil Rajapaksa would run the party’s election machinery.
The President also said he welcomed a free media culture and said that the government would not bring any regulation to control the media. “We want the media to highlight shortcomings of the government so that we can correct our faults”.
[alert color=”faebcc” icon=”fa-commenting”]Keeping up to date with breaking news while you are on the move is now simple with UTV Alerts [textmarker color=”8a6d3b”]Type REG UTV and send to 77000[/textmarker] on your Dialog, Airtel, or Hutch mobile connection[/alert]
