Former Minister and Kurunegala District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Johnston Fernando last Saturday (11) claimed that even if the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) was to win an election, the party would not be able to govern a country because it lacks the required capacity.
Addressing an election rally in Kegalle, Fernando said that some seemed to have been impressed by the massive numbers of participants at JVP rallies. “The JVP has 70,000 members who are taken from one rally to another to be able to show numbers to impress others. It is not a new phenomenon. They have been doing so for years. But when it comes to the final count of votes, their trick will be exposed. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they have a mechanism to bring people to their rallies. The JVP has created a Facebook wave to show that they are going to win the forthcoming local polls. Even in the last elections, the JVP could only garner 42,000 votes. The maximum number of votes they could get is 120,000 to 130,000 votes from all over the country. They would not be able to come into power with those numbers.
“Even if they win the election, they are incapable of governing a country because they do not know how to do go about it and they do not have the capacity to do so. Anura Kumara Dissanayake would not be able to work with the international community to get the necessary assistance to steer the country out of the present crisis. He would not be able to secure the support of the international community to bring fuel. He does not have international connections. Basil Rajapaksa got $ 4.5 billion from India. We imported fuel with that money. Anura cannot do that. He cannot even speak to Indian fishermen to obtain a litre of petrol from them. We challenge the JVP to name who would be the Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs under a government run by them. They do not have people with the capacity to hold such positions.
“The JVP has always been duping the people. During the time of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1971 they got around 12,000 youths killed, and in the 1987-88 period, another 60,000 youths met the same fate. Those who were born after 2000 do not know the real conduct of the JVP.
“One of my supporters told me that his family members attended a recent JVP rally in Kurunegala. Some JVP supporters told them that last time, when the houses were set on fire, the houses of only those who had supported the Government were destroyed, and if they would not attend the rally they would be labelled as Government supporters and their property and houses would be in danger, the next time such an incident occurs. So they attended the rally. This indicates that some people attend these rallies out of fear.
“JVP trade unionists take money from industrialists and company owners, threatening them that their unions would strike if the money is not given to them. They extort money from the business community. This they do without the governing power. Imagine what they would do if they come into power?” Fernando queried.