United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake said it was clear that Party Deputy Leader Minister Sajith Premadasa was the best candidate for the United National Front (UNF) alliance. Below are excerpts of his interview with The Sunday Morning: We are hearing many names being thrown around for the presidential candidacy of the UNF these days. Who do you see as the realistic options to choose from? Sajith Premadasa. Of course Karu Jayasuriya would have been a very good option for the last election but we didn’t field him. Everyone has an expiry date and I think he has passed. He himself has withdrawn from the race if I’m not mistaken. So there is only one candidate that we know of and that is Sajith Premadasa – who is the best candidate. Several other parties, including your main political opponents – the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) – have already named their candidates and have even begun campaign activities. Do you not fear of lagging behind on the campaign trail? They have only named their candidate and haven’t officially nominated him. They have named Gotabaya Rajapaksa as their candidate and that’s their best candidate. So if one is to try and win this election, then you also have to field your best candidate that can match or beat their candidate and we think Sajith Premadasa is that candidate. With regard to the campaign activities – I don’t think it will be an issue. The campaigning must be done during the campaign. If you start a campaign too early, it falters. So I don’t think we are late for the campaign at all. The UNF is divided on who should be its candidate. Who would be your pick? Which side are you on? I think once we have finally chosen and named the candidate, there will be unity in the alliance. We are just trying to ensure that we have the best candidate that we could field at the end of the day. My pick, of course, is Sajith Premadasa as I mentioned earlier. What would happen in a situation where the candidate selected by the UNP is not preferable to the UNF? Who has the final say? I think most of the UNF alliance members have very clearly said that selecting the candidate is up to the UNP and that they would support the candidate that we decide on – whoever that may be. They have also told us that the UNP squabbles are purely our squabbles and they would not get involved in them in any way. The JVP has come out with a campaign for equality and the protection of minority rights. What would happen if the UNF candidate does not get the backing of the TNA? The TNA has also been of the view that they would support the UNF candidate. They may have a preference as to which candidate it is. But once the UNP candidate is chosen, they will support that candidate. That is what I believe because I don’t see very many options anywhere else. This is because the TNA’s views on most things are diametrically opposed to all the other candidates. Reluctantly even, they will have to support the UNF candidate. That is the reality. The SLPP is banking on winning the election through the Sinhala-Buddhist vote while the UNF relies on the minority vote for success. However, according to recent studies, neither side has above 40% of the entire voter base. How does the UNF hope to attract the floating Sinhala vote? I think what the UNP needs to do is to field someone that they feel is young, dynamic, will work, and will deliver. That is what the message has to be. If we field a candidate that the youth cannot identify with or relate to, that will be the sole criteria for losing an election that we can win. So you are not afraid that by the time you name your candidate and begin campaigning the floating Sinhala vote would have gone to Gotabaya Rajapaksa? No, I think the floating vote is still floating, waiting to see who will be fielded by the UNP. I don’t think they have made their minds up at all. They are also watching to see where this will end and who would be chosen. You are a senior parliamentarian with family roots in Lankan politics. Why was your name not in the running for presidential candidacy? Do you not have ambitions to lead the state? No, I always take things step by step and I think before we aim for the top, we have to try to aim for a good cabinet ministry where we can work and prove ourselves. I would really love to get the opportunity to prove myself in that field and if we are trying to look at anything higher – it must be thought of only after we have succeeded or failed at that level first. (SG)