The signing of nominations by the United Republican Front for the Colombo District for this year’s Local Government Election was held today (March 15) at the party headquarters under the patronage of United Republican Front Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.
After the event, United Republican Front Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka responded to questions from journalists and stated:
“Today, we began signing nominations for the Local Government Election in the Colombo District. We plan to submit nominations in the Colombo District and across the country within the next eighteen to nineteen days. For this election, we will be contesting under the name of the United Republican Front, using the pencil symbol.”
Local Government Election and Political Situation
Question: Will the United Republican Front contest island-wide for Local Government Institutions?
Answer: We will contest in districts across the island, but only for selected Local Government Institutions.
Question: Does that mean the United Republican Front will not field candidates in every Local Government Institution?
Answer: Yes. Normally, we contest in major municipal councils, such as Kandy, Galle, and Colombo Municipal Councils. However, we will not contest in certain other areas.
For the first time in this election, we will contest under the United Republican Front name in selected Local Government Institutions where we have a strong base.
Question: What is your opinion on the Local Government Elections and the current political situation?
Answer: In the current context, simply voting for unknown candidates is not enough. We must elect responsible candidates from our own villages—people we know and trust—as our representatives.
Similarly, despite budget allocations, the government lacks funds to undertake large-scale capital expenditure projects.
That is why Local Government Institutions need a self-sustaining program that can generate its own funds.
This time, we are introducing such a self-financing program for local institutions.
Additionally, under the Western Metropolitan Plan, which we previously proposed, we worked with municipal councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas, particularly in the Colombo District.
Our goal is to modernize urban plans and present them in this election.
For example, we were the ones who solved Colombo’s garbage problem. Similarly, we addressed the flood problem in the Sri Jayewardenepura area.
However, these solutions have not been fully implemented, as many projects were left incomplete.
Out of 15 flood mitigation projects, only six have been completed in Colombo.
Over the last five years, no one has taken the necessary steps to complete the remaining nine projects.
We aim to complete those projects in areas such as Maharagama, Kesbewa, Boralesgamuwa, and Moratuwa.
Our objective is to revive the stalled development activities from the last five years, primarily by utilizing revenues generated by Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils.
Batalanda Commission Report:
Question: One of the main topics being discussed these days is the Batalanda Commission Report. What is your opinion?
Answer: The government should clarify what action it intends to take after presenting the Batalanda Commission Report. Will it revoke Ranil Wickremesinghe’s civil rights, or will it prosecute him?
Our stance is that this issue is not one-sided. From 1987 to 1990, both sides were engaged in a violent conflict. The JVP also contributed to these killings, and they must take responsibility. They cannot evade that responsibility.
Similarly, the other side also carried out killings. In essence, one side prevailed because they killed more people than the other.
That is why, if an investigation is to be conducted, a formal independent commission should be appointed to examine the crimes committed by both parties rather than conducting a selective and one-sided inquiry at a particular time and place.
The Incident Related to the Torture Chamber at the University of Colombo:
Question: There have been discussions on social media and other platforms that you had a similar experience. Do you recall anything related to this, particularly at the University of Colombo? Is there any truth to these claims?
Answer: Yes, at that time, there was a torture chamber and a detention process at the University of Colombo. I, too, was detained and subjected to torture there. That is why I have firsthand experience of such incidents.
I have never hidden this fact and have openly spoken about it. I even detailed my experience in a long-running series of articles titled ‘Shackled in a Raw Grave’ published in the Divaina newspaper.
Question: Have you previously provided any official information regarding this? Have you made any formal inquiries about it?
Answer: That is the problem in this country. This lack of a proper investigation has allowed historical distortions and fabricated narratives to emerge.
There has never been an open commission to investigate these incidents. The same situation happened with the LTTE. No open commission was ever appointed, which is why many perpetrators still walk free today, pointing fingers at others while avoiding accountability on both sides.
Had an open commission been established, similar to the Criminal Justice Commission, fabricated narratives would not exist today.
If such a transparent and independent commission were appointed now, we are ready to come forward and present the truth.
Question: What was your personal experience with the events at the University of Colombo during that period?
Answer: Those were extremely tragic events. The country lost many valuable individuals, and an entire generation of promising young people was wiped out due to the violence from both sides.
Al Jazeera Discussion and the International Military Tribunal Process:
Question: Do you think that the issue concerning Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, which is being brought to the forefront at this moment, is being raised for some political purpose?
Answer: This is not being done for any political purpose. If there were a political motive behind it, then the government should have raised this issue as soon as it came to power. This is a question that was initiated by Al Jazeera.
Question: In the Al Jazeera discussion, various issues were raised. What is your opinion on those issues, the questions they asked, and the answers given by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe?
Answer: Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe is knowledgeable about these issues. Additionally, unlike others, he does not struggle with the English language. So, as a sovereign state, there are certain principles regarding the International Military Tribunal process.
For example, the same issue applies to the Philippine President. Foreign investigations can only be conducted after a nation has completed its own internal investigations and prosecutions. International involvement is secondary, whereas domestic investigations take precedence.
In Sri Lanka, five commissions have been appointed regarding these matters. We are well aware of them. Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the Truth and Inquiry Commission. Then came the Paranagama Commission, the Udalagama Commission, and the Desmond Silva Commission.
Moreover, it is impossible to individually document each and every killing. However, official statistics exist regarding the number of people who died or disappeared between 1983 and 1990. These records are available in the parliamentary library.
Let those records be presented to Parliament. Then we can determine whether 40,000 people died in the war or whether 66,000 people perished in the JVP rebellion. These figures are not mere estimates; they are based on a specific, documented report.
One of the biggest failures of this government is that these official reports have not been properly communicated to the public or the international community, particularly the UNHCR. That is what happened in that Al Jazeera discussion.
Wildlife Census
Question: Did you wake up at 8:00 a.m. to conduct the wildlife census?
Answer: Conducting a wildlife population census is certainly a good initiative. However, the important question is, what happens next?
We can count the number of animals, but then what?
How many squirrels? How many peacocks? How many otters? How many monkeys?
Let’s say we have tallied all the animals—what is the next step?
That is the problem. There has been no discussion about what should be done afterward.
If a clear plan of action had been presented, public support could have been garnered more effectively, rather than leaving the initiative open to ridicule.
In reality, the damage caused by certain animals to crops and other aspects of daily life is enormous. Many people across the country are suffering due to this issue.
If there had been a proper explanation of what was being done—what the next course of action would be—it would have been far more valuable.
Sampur Solar Power Plant
Question: What do you think about the fact that several projects, including the Sampur Power Plant, are planned to be initiated?
Answer: No, actually, this is not a solar power plant being built in Sampur. Unfortunately, after the Anura Dissanayake government came to power, solar power plants are being shut down by 50 percent on Saturdays and Sundays. So, it is truly an insult to Prime Minister Modi to ask why he is investing there if they are going to cut solar power production by 50 percent in the future.
Question: So, is that a good thing or not?
Answer: Solar power plants are definitely good. We are the ones who started them. I was the one who initiated solar power projects in Sri Lanka in 2010. We started solar power plants in Hambantota. We also introduced rooftop solar power plants.
However, this government is more interested in protecting the coal and diesel mafia. That is why the construction of the power plant in Sampur is a joke.
Why? Now that this government has come to power, after Anura Dissanayake became President, they are deactivating solar power plants during the day.
I have never seen a president who deactivates solar power plants and then brings in a foreign leader, especially an Indian leader, to build another solar power plant.
If solar power plants were maintained properly, without deactivating them, it would clearly be a success.
This is a case of incompetence—the government’s incompetence and their interest in supporting the diesel and coal mafia.
What has happened now? We have been deprived of free solar power, deprived of wind power.
And what is being done instead? They are burning diesel and coal to maintain those power plants.
Which country does this? It is outrageous.
This is a crime that should not only be investigated by the Public Utilities Commission but also by the country’s judicial system.
Why? Because the compensation for these actions is being paid by Sri Lankan electricity consumers—not by Anura Dissanayake.
The Crime Wave in the Country:
Question: There is a rising crime wave in the country. What are your thoughts on this?
Answer: This is a complete joke.
In fact, if the police force is now looking for Mr. Deshabandu, what more is there to talk about?
A journalist, who actually lives abroad, made a statement about this immediately after the arrest warrant was issued for Deshabandu.
He said:
- Deshabandu will not surrender
- Deshabandu will not be arrested
- Deshabandu will be tried without being arrested
- Deshabandu will not be arrested until he gets an order from a higher court to withdraw from this case
So, we also thought that Mr. Deshabandu would surrender as an important police officer.
Similarly, as Mr. Watagala said, Deshabandu’s property should be frozen.
However, nothing has happened.
What we see now is a deliberate, strategic process.
So, let’s wait and see what the court decides on the 17th.
A large number of people, including candidates from the United Republican Front for the Local Government Elections in the Colombo District, were present at the event.
