Dawn of a new vision as the Son rises

“The people will decide if I should be the President”

Ever since he first appeared on the political firmament, as part of UNP presidential hopeful Gamini Dissanayake’s campaign trail in 1994, Sajith Premadasa has reeked of political ambition and shrewd political acumen. The son of Sri Lanka’s only slain Executive President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Sajith is determined not to repeat his father’s mistakes and instead, to complete what he calls and unfinished job. Hence, he chose to begin his political work in the remote Hambantota District, where, he said, he knew neither man or beast at first, 14 long years ago.

Today, in a UNP bankrupt of statesmen-like political figures, after massive erosion into government ranks, Sajith stands out as one of the party’s most promising second generation stars. The Bottom Line caught up with this relatively young politician, for a closer look at the Hambantota MP, to learn how he intends to climb the political heights attained by his father before him. Following are excerpts:

Q: Why choose politics?

A: Well, initially, my interest was not politics in terms of a profession. In fact, while I was at my undergraduate and graduate studies, I was, basically, searching for my own identity. And it did not feel comfortable to practice the business profession. I did think about serving in the foreign policy sector, because, my specialty was international relations. I studied, quite systematically, developments in international history, ever since WW II; especially, politics of the bi polar world of the US-Soviet relationship. So, that kind of interest pushed me in that direction. But, certainly, after my father’s demise that I took to politics, because, I thought there was an unfinished job that had to be finished. And I thought that my capabilities, my energy, my skills or, whatever talents that I possessed would be best utilised in the political arena. So, that’s how I entered politics, and started my political career in the Hambantota district. I have no relatives or friends, absolutely no links at all with the Hambanthota district. The sole reason that motivated me to choose Hambantota was the deprivation and the continuous neglect that the district suffered. And, I thought that the environment was quite fertile for me to initiate my political career there, and serve those people who deserved much political attention. So, here I am.

Q: As a young political leader, what’s your vision for Sri Lanka?

A: Well, in a broad sense, obviously, the two primary goals are promoting peace and prosperity. Of course, these are really broad arenas that I am talking about. When I say peace, I mean peace and tranquility within the country, where we protect and strengthen our sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of our country. And, at the same time, all sectors of society, people of all communities belonging to various sectors, various castes and backgrounds, all should feel that they are citizens of Sri Lanka.

Every citizen of this country should have equal political and human rights. That’s how peace could be achieved. And, when I talk of prosperity, my aim is to promote a system and a structure that enables every human being living in Sri Lanka to have an equal opportunity of getting a piece of the pie which we all call success and national wealth. Of course, prosperity is a very subjective word. And a system that promotes prosperity to a certain sector of society, may well discriminate against the poverty stricken and the marginalised and the voiceless of society. I don’t mean that type of prosperity. I mean prosperity where there is balanced growth, where there is equitable distribution of wealth and where the structure does not discriminate the periphery and strengthen the centre. It should be a situation in which everybody is provided with a level playing field to climb the ladder and achieve successful goals.

Q: Do you think the UNP makes enough room for the emergence of a younger political generation?

A: Well, if we are to look at it from the point of view of a perfect setup, certainly not. It’s not only the UNP, it is the case with most parties in the political arena.

Having said that, our party has been going through certain structural reforms designed to ensure that those capable, talented and possessing the requisite skills are afforded the opportunity to play a major role in party activities, in terms of decision-making and implementation. So, if you ask me whether more could be done; yes! More could be done. You have to understand that our party is going through a modernisation process, and it’s evolutionary. So, we believe that, surely, a machinery would be designed to be capable of ascertaining the opinions of all sections within society, while catering to the needs and wants of those people.

Q: As a young son, what do you recall of your father’s political career?

A: Well, there are many qualities I saw in him that are quite appropriate in today’s context. Single mindedness in achieving his goals, is something that stands out. He was willing to make whatever sacrifices, personal or otherwise, to achieve things for the country. He would work hard and be an example to others to work hard to promote growth and equity within the country. And also, I think, he had immense compassion for the poor and oppressed. He had a great desire to ensure that none of the regions or districts in the country were neglected. So, the prosperity of Colombo 7, the so called Kurunduwatta; he wanted to replicate in Muwanpelessa, Kebithigollewa and Dehiattakandiya and far away hamlets of Sri Lanka. So, I think, all in all, he achieved a great deal. I think, any successful leader should try to adapt and adopt the Premadasa attributes as a model for governance.

Q: Given a choice, what parts of your father’s policies would you discard?

A: To be very honest with you, I have been one of the few politicians who has done a very balanced analysis of one’s own; in my case, my father. I have done a very through examination of his strengths and weaknesses, of his attributes and shortcomings. But, as far as his shortcomings are concerned, I do say there were, but I don’t elaborate on them. But, what I can say is that, I have done a very through examination and I have ensured that the path I follow is devoid of such pitfalls and ensured that whatever visions I have, whatever programmes I initiate, incorporates the lessons learnt from the Premadasa experience.

Q: Which political figures, both international and local, have been a source of inspiration for you?

A: I’m a great believer in the Lee Kwan Yu doctrine. I’m a great fan of Mahatir Mohammed’s system of governance. I love what Chandrababu Naidu the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and S.M. Krishna, the Chief Minister of Karnataka achieved in terms of promoting the growth of the IT sector in their states. I’m a great admirer of the freedom struggle championed by Nelson Mandela. I have great admiration for Martin Luther King, who fought and mobilised against racial discrimination and segregation. I am a great fan of Barack Obama – of course, he’s yet to prove his track record, but I love his ideas. I think Obama’s ideas are certainly, extremely appropriate for Sri Lanka. This country needs absolute, wholesale change. In addition to that, I admire some of Thatcherism, a bit of Reaganomics and I admire Clinton for how he achieved a Budget surplus and continuous and uninterrupted economic growth and job creation in the US, during his eight years in office.

Q: Which of these leaders would you say were the best models for political leadership in Sri Lanka?

A: I think Sri Lanka should have its own model. We should have our own characteristics implanted in that model. I don’t think any foreign model would suit our country. The leaders who govern our country should have the appropriate and requisite intellect and capabilities, and the urge and desire to be innovative, to form a governance model that would be most appropriate to promote peace and prosperity. That is not to say that we cannot incorporate certain positive aspect of some of the world leaders I mentioned and many others.

Q: What is your ultimate political ambition?

A: My ultimate political ambition is to serve the whole country. That means the highest political position available in the country, which is the presidency one day. If there is a constitutional amendment and everything changes, then it could be another position. Of course, that is my ultimate ambition, in order to realise that ambition is a big process. It is a process where the people are the deciders. They decide whether I get pensioned off as a politician tomorrow or I progress in the political path I am pursuing at present. Whether I get there or not is dependent on the whims and fancies of the Sri Lankan electorate.

Q: If there is one thing you could change within the UNP, what is that?

A: You are putting me in a spot. Once you are victorious, you automatically assume that you have an excellent system in place. But, there maybe certain weaknesses that may creep problems which would at the end, result in failure of the party. While you’re in the opposition, you always think that the model of the system you possess is not good enough. Why? Because you are in the opposition. So, it’s important when you’re talking of change, to ensure that the major interests of a political party are protected and major priorities achieved. For the UNP, the main objective today, is to come to power. To ensure that the slippery slope that the country is on is checked. I sincerely believe that the UNP can do this. If this is our ultimate objective, then it is crucial that we make changes in our party structure and vision, to ensure that these goals are attained.