இந்திய தேர்தலில் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சிக்கு மகிந்த உதவி செய்திருந்தார்: வீரதுங்கா

கடந்த வருடம் நடைபெற்ற இந்திய நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தலில் சிறீலங்கா அரச தலைவர் மகிந்த ராஜபக்சா இந்திய காங்கிரஸ் கட்சிக்கு உதவிகளை மேற்கொண்டிருந்தார் என சிறீலங்கா அரச தலைவரின் செயலாளர் லலித் வீரதுங்கா தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இது தொடர்பில் இணையத்தளம் ஒன்றிற்கு அவர் வழங்கிய நேர்காணலில் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளதாவது:

கடந்த வருடம் மே மாதம் இந்தியாவில் நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தல் நடைபெற்ற போது வன்னியில் நடைபெற்ற போரில் கனரக ஆயுதங்களை பயன்படுத்துவதில்லை என்ற அறிவித்தலை விடுத்து மகிந்த ராஜபக்சா இந்திய காங்கிரஸ் கட்சிக்கு உதவி புரிந்திருந்தார்.

தேர்தல் காலத்தில் போரை நிறுத்தும் படி இந்தியா சிறீலங்காவை கேட்டிருந்தது. ஆனால் அதற்கு மறுப்பு தெரிவித்த சிறீலங்கா அரசு கனரக ஆயுதங்களை பயன்படுத்துவதில்லை என அறிவித்தலை விடுத்திருந்ததாக அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இதனிடையே இந்திய அரசும் சிறீலங்கா அரசும் இணைந்து இந்திய மக்களை ஏமாற்றும் நாடகங்கையே மேற்கொண்டதாகவும், வன்னியில் நடைபெற்ற போரின் போது எந்த ஒரு கணமும் சிறிலங்கா அரசு தனது கனரக ஆயுதங்களின் பாவனைகளை நிறுத்தவில்லை என படைத்துறை அவதானிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளது இங்கு குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

http://www.pathivu.com/news/5067/54//d,view.aspx

Q1:The opposition claims the former Army Commander won the war while the President sat in his air-conditioned rooms giving instructions. However, it must be said without political backing the war could not have been won. Can you elaborate on exactly what the President did to win the war?

A1: When the President came to power he was faced with the LTTE; which had fattened itself, having more people recruited, acquiring more equipment which had been brought in through our customs. They had a very strong sea tiger force and they could have very easily because at the time the military had been given a very clear mandate (at the time he came into power); the orders were such that even soldiers stationed in Jaffna were carrying guns but without bullets. I can tell you that because I am a member of the National Security Council.

The Presidents role was not just commanding the armed forces. He also had to keep in mind political implications. You can have a fine defence force but you had to have someone to bear the international pressure.

The LTTE was very strong outside the country their propaganda machine was very strong. The Sri Lankan government didn’t have a chance to counter these stories on the international stage. The President had to ward off all this foreign pressure.

I can quote where he did this. On 24 April 2009 during the Indian elections, Congress was having a difficult time in Tamil Nadu, they made arrangements to meet the President. A high level delegation met the President. But he emphasised we had suffered for 30 years, therefore could not allow these people to go scott free……..

Q2: But why did they come and what exactly did they want?

A2: Elections were being held in India so if the government of India did not do something to stop what the rest of the world thought the massacre of Tamils (as it was wrongly termed) the Tamils would not vote for the Congress. They said “please stop this”. But the President said “sorry I cannot do that”. But he added “ok what do you want me to do to ensure victory of the Congress Party”? They requested that the use of heavy weaponry be stopped. This is what brought India and Sri Lanka closer.

With the halt in use of heavy weaponry (with approval of the Sri Lankan Security Council that Sri Lanka would no longer use heavy weaponry) the Congress gained strength and the victory in Tamil Nadu can be attributed to this decision by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The second instance was when the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Foreign Minister of France Bernard Kouchner met with the President and demanded a halt to the military operation. I was so proud when the President said” Mr. Foreign Secretary we are no longer one of your colonies”.

Q3:The role of the President in winning the war is indisputable, however the former Army Commander also contributed a great deal to the victory and the President and the Defence Secretary at the time admitted as much. But why is it that now just because he has entered politics he is a traitor?

A3: The contribution made by the then Army Commander is not disputed and it was never disputed. But there were other contributory factors; what about the Navy, the Air Force, the Police and the Civil Defence Force and citizens like you and me. Didn’t we tolerate and go through the most difficult circumstances?

Having said that, I want to say credit was never taken away. Even at interviews given by these gentleman they too gave credit to the President and the Secretary Defence. The question of a traitor does not come in here; whatever people have contributed they are held in high esteem but having done such a great job these people should make sure the peace you and I enjoy is sustained.

Let not the LTTE from outside manipulate once again; there is a lot of manipulation going on. There are a lot of elements coming together of people who never wanted this country to be free.

The role played by the Former Army Commander is not disputed. But these are contributory factors. The entire operation was directed by the President and he would have had to face the flak if the operation went wrong. One must give weightage to these things?

Let the people decide. The people know that in the past the political leadership was never strong. I am not prepared to call Fonseka a traitor, I won’t do that.

Q4: But it seems the Government is saying Fonseka has betrayed the country because he entered politics? For instance when the letter came from Prof. Philip Alston on the statements made by General Fonseka, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe promptly said he denied ever saying such things therefore it is no longer an issue. But the very next day the Ministry of Human Rights began talking of how the General had betrayed the country. So why is it now this man who was once your hero is now all of a sudden a traitor simply because he entered politics?

A4: Not just one hero; one of many heroes. With all respect to Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe, he did not communicate the position of the government. Because it is not we who say whether he said it or didn’t say it; it is in a Sunday Newspaper. I’m not going to say whether he said it or not, that is not the question. The question here is, the moment you question a thing like that, after being the Commander of the Army. That is where the problem lies.

All of us know what the government does and all of us are supposed, as good public servants not talk out of turn. The problem is that for a long period of time, the UN had been making various allegations. The moment the newspaper reported that this comment was made Alston started writing to the government and that is when people started saying it’s a betrayal. Its not just the Government that called him so, many civil society organizations have said that it was so.

Q5: The Opposition lists corruption countering of corruption at the its main criteria. As a public servant what is your response to the allegations of corruption being hurled at the President and the Government?

A5: None of these allegations have been substantiated. Why? There are three ways that the opposition could have taken this up; firstly they could have brought a motion of no-confidence in Parliament, against a particular Minister, against the whole Government and even against the President if they could. But not a single motion was presented. If you look at the Commission for Bribery and Corruption there is not a single substantiated complaint made. If this was so, the Bribery Commission would have taken it up. Nothing, no politician has been accused.

They could have gone to the Supreme Court on a public litigation case. The only public litigation case was against the previous government; and there were substantiated allegations of corruption. Remember the VAT fraud?

It was reported by the Auditor General himself we had lost 350 million. Nothing was done. Now we are going into it. We can’t even catch him as he has gone abroad. He is a very close relative of a person belonging to one of the opposition parties.

They say the Rajapaksa Family owns this and this and this. Please go to the land registry, get a private detective to do this, go to the Registrar of companies, go to the municipal council and ask who the owners are?

Large tenders have been mentioned. The tender process is handled by public servants. There is a Technical Evaluation Committee; they go through the standards and the costs, they go through whether it is the lowest or best quotable price.

If it is of a very high value it goes onto the Cabinet and it is very rarely that a Cabinet of Ministers has changed the findings of an official committee.

I am not saying these things as a politician I am saying these as the foremost public servant and because I have a duty to defend the whole public service. We are careful as we are the keepers of the public funds. We want to ensure we buy the best possible and only what is needed. I am not saying that this is a 100 percent ideal situation.

There may be instances where the wrong decision is made or the wrong vehicle is bought; I am not saying that these things don’t happen in the public service. Take the public service in any country; where they say there is transparency, yet there are scandals.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/123-news/1188.html

BJP monitoring Lanka’s claim

http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/882-bjp-monitoring-lankas-claim.html

India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says that they will await more details on claims made by Sri Lanka that President Mahinda Rajapakse helped the ruling Congress party win the General Elections in Tamil Nadu last year by agreeing to stop using heavy weapons during the last stages of the war.

Shri Nalin S. Kohli, Convener of the BJP speaking to Daily Mirror online said that it would appear strange for any foreign country to claim to have played a role in the internal workings of the democratic elections of another country.

He added that while it seemed ‘improbable’, if found to be true it would raise serious questions and that more details would then be required to understand the nature of these claimed transactions.

In an interview on Daily Mirror online Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said that President Mahinda Rajapakse helped the Indian Congress party win the General Elections in Tamil Nadu by reaching an agreement with the Indian government.

The agreement reached had been to put a stop to the usage of heavy weaponry during the last stages of the war in Sri Lanka, in order to help the Congress garner votes in Tamil Nadu and win the General elections. (Daily Mirror online)

ஆனால் பாருங்கோ காங்கிரஸ் இப்ப சரத்துக்கு ஆதரவு கொடுக்கிறது... காங்கிரசின் நிலைப்பாட்டில் மாற்றம் வர வேண்டும்... இப்படி இந்தியாவிடம் மண்றாடுகிறார்...

காங்கிரஸிக்கு பணங்கள் கொடுத்து இந்தியா வாயினை அடைத்த பணத்தினை இப்பொழுது எமது புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்களால் தமிழீழ அரசுக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்ட பல கிலோ தங்கத்தால்தானே மகிந்தவின் தேர்தல் பணிகள் நடைபெறுகிறது.

மகிந்தவின் தேர்தல் பணிக்கான பணமும் தமிழீழ மக்களின் வியர்வையிலும் இரத்தத்திலும் வந்த பணங்கள்தான்..