Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Dissanayake says that he is not at all worried about the statements being made by the enemy in the face of the rapid mobilization of the people around the NPP. Anura Dissanayake expressed these views while addressing the Kandy District Convention of the NPP held at the Hindu Cultural Hall in Kandy yesterday (5th). Member of the Political Bureau of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Chairman of the National Trade Union Center KD. Lalkantha was appointed the Leader of the NPP for Kandy District. Among those appointed to the Kandy District Executive Council of the NPP were lawyers led by Lal Wijenayake, university lecturers including Prof. Liyanage Amarakeerthi, several doctors, social activists, trade union leaders, leaders of business organizations, youth leaders and retired public servants.
NPP MP, Dr Harini Amarasuriya, its National Executive Member Attorney Lal Wijenayake, Prof. Wije Kumar, Senior Lecturer Chathuranga Senaratne, Prof. Liyanage Amarakeerthi, NPP Kandy District Leader KD Lal Kantha, Leader of the NPP Anura Dissanayake spoke.
Mr Dissanayake said, “Many people are ruffled as we walk along this road. Some people have started writing various things in English newspapers. Curious political commentators have been created. They create fears that various things will happen when we come to power. Everyone is perturbed. Some people write in an advisory manner though they are confused. Newspapers have begun to fill with such columns and statements. But we are not at all rattled. We have very good restraint. There is a work plan, and we have a good stand. We work rapidly to a pattern. We would not constrict them at all. We are addressing and mobilizing the people with great restraint, very steadfastly and rapidly.
We are working within two key areas. One is the programme for the NPP to seize power in the next transfer of power. The second is the programme to rebuild this country after taking power. We are working on these two areas with equal weight, care, restraint and systematic consistency. Some people get upset when this happens. A plan has been drawn up to transform the NPP as the foremost people’s force in the country. We were a little late because the covid epidemic had prevented us from meeting each other for some time.
The National Representatives Convention was held on the 20th of December, and the National Executive Council was introduced. An expeditious programme was launched to rebuild the country. We have decided to nominate a District Executive Council in each district and appoint a leadership body to take charge of that district. We are holding here the first district council of this programme. A plan has been drawn up, setting dates from January to March. From the phone calls we receive, many of the people we talk to say, ‘Comrade, you seem to be on top. We see it in the media. But there is no one in the village. Posters come up. However, we do not know who does it. Politics is the relationship that is built with the citizen. The villager must see a party representative whom he could meet and discuss. They should have the opportunity to present the allegation of proposals to a party representative. Without that, a political movement will not move forward. The correlation at our village level is weak. We have to accept that. People need to get involved. But there is no place to connect. They say they like to join. But they say there is no one in the village.
Because of this, we have drawn up a plan. We hope to establish NPP Councils in every Grama Niladhari Division in Sri Lanka. Those who say there is no one now should start this work. It should not be done from Colombo. In the village, we are forming divisional councils of the NPP. It has a president, a secretary and a staff. There will be a good committee. The Divisional Council of the NPP will work to strengthen the village, organize the village, obtain suggestions from the villagers, exchange ideas and establish relations with the citizens. As the National Executive Council, the District Executive Council and the Grama Divisional Council, we have formulated a programme to organize the people gradually. However, it can only be done with your involvement and contribution as a people. It is extremely important. This is not the work of a few, but the work of all of us. Someone may have been an activist of another party at one time, he or she may have voted for another party at another time. Nevertheless, we are a political movement that recognizes the change in citizens. History would not have developed if citizens had not changed. This was done by people who were not afraid of change. Some are afraid of change. We are ready to accept the change. We expect change. Therefore, what political party you belonged to in the past does not apply to us in the village. We in the village will unite and form divisional councils under the leadership of the National Executive Council.
A program should be formulated to build this country. It, too needs to be socialized systematically. If the country is handed over to you, some will ask who the Minister of Finance is. We can make the finest and most uncorrupt finance minister of all the finance ministers in this country so far. We will show it all as a board. We can point to our team in charge of education, the team in charge of foreign policy, the team in charge of health. This is not the work of an individual but it is a collective work.
The country needs a discussion on how to build it. Now everyone is saying that there is no point discussing those who have ruled. They ask us what we would do. We swear that we shall build this country.”
