UNF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa was hosted by AMCHAM for a Q & A with the business community on October 10. This was the first of a series of talks titled “Meet the Candidate” in the run-up to the Sri Lankan Presidential Elections on November 16. The session was moderated by Dr. Nishan De Mel, Executive Director of Verite Research.
Sajith Premadasa outlining his vision for the economy said, “I believe in free market economics, and free enterprise to create wealth. However, wealth growth has to be an inclusive growth and the prosperity created must be shared. When it comes to wealth redistribution, I identify it as a social democrat - my economic model is thus mixed.
I would allow free market economics to flourish, reducing barriers to private enterprises by reducing bureaucratic inertia.” He also noted that consultation of the private sector should be a mandatory step in economic decision-making, in order to ensure policy stability. Describing the problems caused by ‘Group Think,’
he was clear that his decisions would be based on critical and open discussion with all stakeholders. Premadasa also emphasized the importance of implementation. He assured
the audience that he would deliver on his promises, inviting the audience to observe his achievements under the Model Village project as Minister of Housing, Cultural Affairs and Samurdhi. He also proposed ways to reward productivity - “Prior to 2015, foreign training programs were only available to an exclusive club. With my assumption of duties, we made the allocation of these opportunities based on achievements in the Model Village program. He or she who embarked on the largest number of projects, was given the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of foreign trading programs.” Promoting meritocracy as a personal priority, he explained his
plan for ministerial appointments too. “As for the team, there would be a wholesale change. They would not be individuals with political patronage, we would be moving away from connection-based recruitment into key positions.”
Reiterating his belief in meritocracy and transparency, he said, “We are planning on a system of supervision and control by a multi-party committee with far reaching powers, where they would be empowered with an intrusive approach to look into the veracity of tender decisions, of how the tender processes and how the technical committees have done their evaluation.” He further expressed the need for judicial processes to be depoliticized. With regard to foreign policy, the candidate expressed his wish for a Sri Lanka First policy - where all deals would be brokered with national interest in mind rather than personal or political interest.
Looking to the future, Premadasa emphasized the importance of the youth in stimulating economic growth. He proposed a legally binding Youth Charter to safeguard the rights of children and multiple expansions in education, including free preschool services with trained staff. Premadasa also outlined his vision to create a more highly skilled labour force. “I proposed the setting up of Centres of Excellence in all Divisonal Secretariat sectors of the country, to ensure that all youth be empowered in computer science education and English. Irrespective of their educational or economic background, they must have access to education of International standards.”
When questioned on his plans to eradicate terrorism and ethnic violence in the light of the Easter Sunday bomb blasts and the riots in Minuwangoda, Digana and Kandy, Premadasa articulated the need for a strong-handed approach to dealing with instigators of racial tensions.
He announced his plan to appoint Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to eradicate terrorism and maintain peace in the island. In terms of policy, he pushed for harsher legislature on hate speech and ethnic violence, saying that “Stronger punitive action that creates extreme hardships on the perpetrator must be enacted through legislation, to act as a full proof deterrent against those planning on committing these transgressions.”
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