Presidential Election: A challenge to the son of the soil Mahinda by foreign elements involved in destabilizing the country

The forthcoming Presidential election is a challenge between the son of the soil - Mahinda Rajapaksa and the foreign elements and their agents involved in destabilizing the country.

The Education Minister A.D. Susil Premajayantha, who is also the General Secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance, speaking to Asian Tribune said that the UPFA is prepared to face the election as well as the challenges posed by the foreign forces and their agents in Sri Lanka.

He said that Mahinda Rajapaksa is the son of the soil and he is being challenged not only by the foreign forces who are involved in funding the election against him , but also by their anti-national agents, who are in Sri Lanka involved in dividing the nation.

Foreign elements, their representatives and some forces within Sri Lanka, who earlier supported the separation of the country, are trying to divide, not the country but the nation, through this election, said Minister Susil Premajayantha

Given below the excerpts of the interview with Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, who is also the General Secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance:

Asian Tribune: How was your recent trip to Jaffna ?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: It was a very good trip. I met a cross section of the people in the Peninsula

Asian Tribune: Tomorrow (Today) is the D day. Are you all ready with your UPFA candidate to face the presidential election?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: We are ready for the nomination. The nomination is tomorrow (17th December 2009) so everything is finalized. All our partners of the Alliance are very active now. So our Alliance will campaign for the victory of our candidate President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Asian Tribune: According to reports, this is an election between the Sri Lankan Mahinda Rajapaksa against the money power of USA and Norway. Your comment?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: That of course, I don’t know where the money is coming from.

Asian Tribune: Then you wish to say that no foreign countries are involved in defeating President Mahinda Rajapaksa, by throwing huge amount of money in this Presidential election to rob the victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: No, I can’t say that, because I don’t have any evidence regarding that. What I can say is that there is a strong believe among the people of Sri Lanka, in the midst of the majority of the right thinking patriotic people in this country, that funds and support are being pumped in by some foreign forces into the country to defeat Mahinda Rajapaksa and deny him of the victory to serve again the people and the country.

Asian Tribune: So you mean to say that it is an election between Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Rajapakse and some foreign forces?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: Yes that is the correct and the acceptable way of expression, as far as this Presidential election is concerned. It is a contest between the righteousness and the evil forces.

Not only the foreign subversive forces who are involved in funding the election against President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but also their anti-national agents, who are in Sri Lanka and working hard to defeat Mahinda. Also some forces within Sri Lanka, who earlier supported the separation of the country, are now joined forces with these subversive foreign elements and trying to divide not the country but the nation, through this election.

Therefore, it is up to the patriotic people of this country to unmask these subversive elements and safeguard the country.

Asian Tribune: We learnt that you were in Jaffna?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: Yes, I was there for the distribution of school textbooks. Annually we have this as a national event, to distribute the school text books. This time after many years, I think this is the first time, we had the national event of distributing the school text books in Jaffna.

Asian Tribune: This was the event that was held at the Vermbaddi Girl’s college?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: Yes, at the Vermbaddi Girls High school.

Asian Tribune: In Jaffna what are the arrangements you have made for the presidential election campaign of your candidate?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: In my capacity as the General Secretary of the UPFA, we launched our Jaffna district coordinating office of the UPFA.

Asian Tribune: Who is in charge of that?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: There is of course, we have our SLFP organizer Thangaraja and other people. Minister Douglas Devanatha is also there. We have also decided to set up 11 electoral offices for each and every electorate in the Jaffna district.

I also I went to one of the school near the Jaffna city to lay foundation stones under our development project. We have decided to spend Rs. 35 million for the school building of the Skanda Varodaya College, Chunnakkam. This is one of the oldest schools in Chunnakam. We will be launching soon another five such school projects, in the Jaffna district.

Asian Tribune: I studied in Hartley College, Point Pedro; unfortunately the Army is still occupying parts of Hartley College, as well as the hostel and the playing ground of the college.

Even the Methodist Girls School is too coming under the Security zone in Point Pedro and the girls students find it difficult to attend the school daily. Will it be possible that these two oldest schools, of course Hartley College is there for the last 160 years, be free from Army occupation and taken out of the security zone?

Minister Susil Premajayantha: I will contact the Defense authorities to see whether they agree to release the school buildings and whether they can take out the security zone around those two schools in Point Pedro.

- Asian Tribune -