‘Mr. 10%’? Prove it, says Basil

Until two weeks ago, Basil Rohana Rajapaksa, the youngest brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been a key player in the government from behind the scenes.

As Senior Advisor to the President, from an obscure but highly secured office in the second floor of the Presidential Secretariat (the former parliament building), he gives leadership to the enforcement of Government policy on a number of matters. They range from issues relating to economy, trade, re-settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and crisis management on a plethora of matters.

On September 19 he took his oaths as a Member of Parliament. He was filling a vacancy created in the National List following the death of Eastern Province parliamentarian, Ameer Ismail. His first act after being sworn in was to pay a courtesy call on India’s High Commissioner Alok Prasad. Thereafter, he called on his one time bosom pal, National Hertiage Minister, Anura Bandaranaike.

In an interview with The Sunday Times Basil Rajapaksa answered some of the critical questions raised by his detractors. Here are edited excerpts.

You have been appointed a Government MP in the face of mounting opposition to what they call “unprecedented nepotism” by the Mahinda Rajapaksa first family. How do you feel about that?

Our family has remained in politics for the past 71 years. The late D.M. Rajapaksa came to the State Council in 1936. After he died, the late D.A. Rajapaksa was elected uncontested. Then there were Lakshman Rajapaksa and George Rajapaksa. Mahinda Rajapaksa entered politics in 1970. Chamal and Nirupama followed. I am the eighth in the family from Hambantota.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected by the people. He had to implement the pledges made in the Mahinda Chinthanaya. He has the right to select the right people to get that done. He picked on Lalith Weeratunga as presidential secretary and asked Dr. P.B. Jayasundera to continue as Treasury Secretary. He brought people from outside like Nivard Cabral, now Governor of the Central Bank.

He picked Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as Defence Secretary. He made a good selection of people, efficient and trustworthy who could deliver. He has chosen relations and family members who know him. But anytime he finds they are not doing their job or retain his confidence, he would remove them.

I know some of the UNP parliamentarians did not come because they would have had to carry placards. Some others later apologised to me. I am not disturbed by this. Simply calling me Mr. 10 per cent or 50 per cent won’t do. If there are any allegations, they must bring them out. I can then respond.

Some accuse you of asking a 10 per cent commission on major Government tenders. What is your response?

Whoever says that must point out where and when I have asked. They must come up with specifics. I will not run away. I will respond. When I am Senior Advisor I do not have to declare assets. Now, as an MP I am required to do so.

Is your appointment as an appointed MP a prelude to your being sworn in as a Minister?

To become an MP, people would either have to elect or one can get on the National List. Becoming a Minister is a prerogative of the President. That is upto him. I cannot say anything on that.

I definitely have no ambitions on that. I have not even given thought to such matters since I do not aim to get there. There are very senior party people who are competent for that post. Even now there is a good Prime Minister in Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

The first suggestion for me to enter Parliament on the National List (after the demise of Ameer Ismail) came from Muslim Ministers. I will not name them. Even Mr. Athaullah has said he and his party were happy to recommend me. He has said in doing so they have strengthened the hands of President Rajapaksa to fight terrorism. I was warmly welcomed by Muslims when I visited Kalmunai, Batticaloa and Vakarai last Thursday.

The Parliamentary Opposition has pointed out that the Rajapaksa first family manages some 60 to 70 per cent of the National Budget under direct ministerial control. Do you find that in order?

That is totally incorrect. Take an example – the payment of salaries to Police, Security Forces etc. They come under the Ministry of Finance. Most of these monies are already allocated to various Departments and statutory bodies. Funds are allocated by Parliament. They are governed by Financial Regulations. On the development side, there is the Decentralised Budget.

MPs are given five million rupees to spend on projects in their electorates. These projects are determined by them. Neither a Minister, a deputy nor the Secretary can decide to channel funds outside. Under the nation building programmes funds are allocated to every project. This is in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthanaya.

After the brutal massacre at Kebettigollawa, President Rajapaksa summoned the villagers to Colombo. The villagers said for 20 years they had asked politicians and officials for D4 bulldozers to construct a bunker line to prevent terrorist infiltration.

He gave them the bulldozers and the money. It was then that the President gave me the task to oversee the protection of threatened villages. This was under the Jathiya Saviya programme enunciated in the Mahinda Chinthanaya. They cover Puttalam, Mannar, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and Moneragala districts. I have travelled to all these districts and made sure security was strengthened. I made sure that needs like food, water, medicine, electricity and medical services were made available.

After the Tiger terrorists blocked Mavil Aru anicut depriving 30,000 Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese, we were compelled to launch military operations for humanitarian reasons. This later extended to the East. The Nation Building Ministry as well as the Ministry of Finance has held several discussions with funding agencies. Work on some of the projects has begun after moneys were received.

But the Government has no funds to pay pensioners, teachers, estate workers, Station Masters, CEB employees etc. They are all clamouring for their dues. What do you say?

That is not correct. We have maintained a high level growth rate of six per cent consecutively for three years. Our foreign reserves have gone up. We had to spend a lot of money to import crude oil. Our unemployment rate has come down. The economy is doing very well. After President Rajapaksa took over, salaries of public servants have been increased. The pensioners too have received a raise. We have given new jobs to youth.

No doubt costs went up. But there are dividends. An example: In the Trincomalee district we were able to cultivate 20,000 acres of paddy land that had remained idle in the past 20 years.

Yes, it is on schedule. It will be a development oriented one. It will concentrate on increasing production and give more encouragement to small industries.

We are confident it will be passed with the support of the majority of the political parties in Parliament. I don’t think there is any problem.

I hope the JVP will look carefully at the budget proposals. They should consider the people’s point of view and decide accordingly. They should also think of the country.

Yes, I will. That is until the President decides I should relinquish that post.