• Supported MR unconditionally as he had done a lot for plantation sector
• Left Govt. since President is unable to practically implement CWC requests

By Asiri Fernando The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a political party with significant influence and following in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector community, last Tuesday (5) detached from the embattled Government. This followed despite a special meeting with the party leaders and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on key issues that affect their constituents. According to Senthil Thondaman, the recently-appointed (30 March) CWC Leader, the party will support any person or group that puts forward a practical economic recovery plan to navigate Sri Lanka out of the unprecedented economic crisis. In an interview with The Sunday Morning, Thondaman said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s connectivity with their constituents was not as robust as the relationship that former President and current Prime Minister Manhinda Rajapaksa had with them. He stressed that although the key issue of the daily wage increase had been gazetted by the Government, administrative delays had prevented its implementation.  Following are excerpts of the interview: Why did the CWC decide to leave the Government on 5 April? Earlier we had supported then President Mahinda Rajapaksa unconditionally because he had done a lot for the plantation community, therefore it was easy for us to campaign for him. In 2019, when the candidate was Gotabaya Rajapaksa, it was a new candidate and his connectivity with the people of the upcountry was not on the same level as with Mahinda Rajapaksa.   When we supported Gotabaya Rajapaksa at elections, certain requests were made by our Party President. Our priority request was to get the plantation workers the Rs. 1,000 daily wage. The others were establishing a university for the upcountry region and to expand Divisional Secretariats. In the upcountry region, there is only one Grama Sevaka per 14,000 people, therefore, compared to other parts of Sri Lanka, those who live in the plantation sector in the upcountry are heavily deprived of their rights on certain matters. These are the main issues we raised with the President to which he agreed. Then he was appointed as the President. Yes, we understand that there was a pandemic situation, we all needed to focus on that. However, later we expected the Government to focus attention on our requests. Although the Government moved on the matter of the Rs. 1,000 wage, its implementation was delayed by the Labour Commission. Even in the issue about the university, although some progress was made, everything was incomplete. So we had a discussion with the President yesterday (4) regarding the issues we had put forward. He was very cordial and told us that he would look into the issues we had presented and would get them done as a matter of priority; he also explained the country’s present economic situation. As a party, we also looked at the country’s economic situation as we need to consider that. We brought the matter up for discussion with the main board of the party. The party board decided that, yes, we understand that the President has the intention to implement [the requests made by the CWC], but given the current economic situation, we don’t think it will be practically possible for him to implement them. We need to be able to give a promise to our people and tell them these issues will be sorted. We will not be able to give that promise. If we do and it is not implemented, we will become politically displaced. If we can’t achieve these goals, we shouldn’t be holding office in Government. Therefore, we decided to be independent for our people. This is the stance we took. Will the CWC join an interim government or join a group that holds the majority in Parliament? Today (5) the SLPP has the majority. We have no issue about who will hold the majority in Parliament. For the CWC it is not a matter of who will have the majority or whom to rally behind. We [CWC] are looking for a person who has a very good economic recovery plan for the country. Our main board must be convinced that the plan is workable. The elected 225 will have to decide who will form the government. We want to see the economic revival plan and see if the plan is workable. People can make claims and say ‘I will do this’ or ‘I will bring in this much,’ but we need to decide on who is credible and has a workable plan. We as the CWC are very concerned about Sri Lanka emerging from this crisis, so we will present such plans to our board and make a decision. How do you justify the role the CWC played in the Government up to date? This is why we decided to be independent in Parliament. When the Government and the President don’t deliver on election promises they make and the country is in an economic crisis, our people will ask us why we remain in Government. Increasing the daily wage increase of an estate sector employee was an election promise. Two years have passed, why has the Government that the CWC was a part of failed to deliver on this promise? We have done what we can. The gazette was released. However, it was the failure of the Labour Commission to implement it. It was a failure of administration. I raised this matter with the President at the party leaders’ meeting. He said he would look into it and inform me, but it didn’t work out. How important is it to have a university for the plantation sector community? We have many students who are eligible to go to university, but we have a high degree of dropouts. Most people in the estate community are daily wage earners, therefore they cannot afford to pay accommodation fees for their children to study at a faraway university. Also, our community is a conservative one. The parents are not comfortable sending their children to a faraway place. Therefore, this has seen few entering into higher education in the community. This is why a university in the upcountry region will enable many students to complete their higher studies. We think a university will help transform our next generation to the next level of living. It will also help the children of the community to be more employable. The supplying of wheat flour at a reasonable price to the estate communities did not go to plan. What went wrong and who is responsible? The process that was used was not correct. In the estate community, only 30% of the population is working. The rest of the population is either retired or children. The process that was followed was not practically viable. Only estate workers were included in it. In a line room block, you may have 10 families living in 10 houses. If you go to distribute to three homes out of 10, there would have been some unrest and there wasn’t enough wheat flour supplied to be distributed widely. The stock which was given was not adequate. Minister Jeevan Thondaman launched a programme to distribute food rations among the plantation community in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kandy, and Matara. He did so during the Covid lockdown period as well. Therefore, we knew the difficulty that the people were facing and the difficulty in distributing relief properly. He tried to distribute the wheat flour that was given, but the stock supplied was not enough. He repeatedly informed the Government of the inadequacy of the stocks of wheat flour and urged them to accommodate 100% of the requirement. Is the CWC likely to join a new political alliance in the near future? If so, where will the CWC fit in? We will support someone or a group that has a practical economic revival plan for Sri Lanka. Will the CWC support the repeal of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution? We think that the 20th Amendment should be reversed. With the current crisis, no one is coming forward to take control of the Government and move forward. There is unrest among the people in the street. Once the 20th Amendment is reversed, power comes back to Parliament. If the 20th Amendment is reverted, people will not be protesting against one person – the President, they will protest against Parliament as Parliament will be responsible for the state of affairs. I think we should go back to the 19th Amendment with some changes and make the Parliament responsible for how the country is run. What is your view of the executive presidency and will the party support reduced executive power? In running the Government, you have different portfolios to run different ministries. They must be given the freedom to carry out their duties and be held responsible. Also, under the 20th Amendment, even if a ministry makes a mistake, the responsibility falls on the President. With the executive presidency it is like the President can run the Government with the ministry secretaries. It is like you don’t need a Parliament.  As of today, it is the CWC’s outlook that this President is being targeted by protests because there is an executive presidency. If it wasn’t an executive presidency, all the concerned ministers would have to take responsibility for their portfolios. If there wasn’t an executive presidency, there would have been a no confidence motion against the relevant subject minister. During the 19th Amendment there were no confidence motions against different ministers. What is the CWC’s stance on the delayed Provincial Council Elections? It should be held as soon as possible. We have been saying this; even foreign countries are inquiring about the delay because it is part of the democratic process. We have worked closely with the former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is someone who held elections early. He normally pre-plans for early elections; you find democracy in that. What has happened now? If you look at Sabaragamuwa, for almost three or four years there hasn’t been an election. You need people represented through their elected representatives. The voters give authority only for a specific period. We need to hold elections on time. Do you think that given the crisis situation Sri Lanka is in, it will be able to chart long-term, robust policies which will be properly implemented? The elected members are elected by the common voter. That’s why we have an Administrative Service with intellectuals. An intellectual from the Administrative Service and an elected political person who understands the people’s mind and wishes can get together and formulate a proper policy. What are your thoughts about the ongoing protests?  As a democratic country we should protest, no two words about that. It is only if you protest that a ruling government will understand its mistakes. But the problem is, protests should not be a disruption to the common man. The CWC was the first to object when curfew was introduced last week. The last few days I see people protesting on the roads, I see them creating a backlog of traffic, sometimes several kilometres long, where school children, office workers, ambulances, and other commuters are stuck. So, yes, do protest – fight for your cause, criticise the policies, point out the mistakes. But don’t inconvenience the common man. You need to formulate your protests. When you are fighting for the common man but your actions put them under pressure, it is not productive.  Also, I feel that when we protest, it should be about policies, you shouldn’t humiliate people. Sri Lanka has a certain quality – the Sri Lankan community is known as a warm, friendly, and welcoming people. If we start using personal attacks and humiliating people, it may send a negative view of us overseas.