As Sri Lanka Votes, NDTV Asks Presidential Candidate 9 Key Questions

Sri Lanka, which is slowly recovering from its worst-ever economic crisis, will vote to elect the next President on Saturday. While current President Ranil Wickremesinghe is seeking another term in office, he is being challenged by the key Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Mr Premadasa, 57, is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa. He leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party or SJB, that separated from Ranil Wickremesinghe's party - United National Party or UNP in 2020.

Mr Premadasa's centrist, more left-leaning party has called for major changes to the $2.9 billion bailout programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has outlined plans of his own to adjust some targets, such as changing taxes to reduce the cost of living. He plans a very different approach to that of Mr Wickremesinghe.

Mr Premadasa favours a mix of interventionist and free-market economic policies, and has promised subsidies and has been accused of promising freebies too at his election rallies. But he says he has a different vision for Sri Lanka and has a plan for how he will achieve them.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Mr Premadasa spoke about how his vision is different from the current regime, how he plans to revive the economy differently from how the current President is doing, how he views the India-Sri Lanka relationship and how he plans to tackle China.

Here are the key highlights of his interview to NDTV:

Q) What according to you makes these elections so significant and crucial?
A) Sri Lanka is facing multiple crises. In the economic sphere, the social sphere, the political sphere - and we don't have a legitimate government in the sense that the present administration is an extension of the administration that was primarily responsible for making Sri Lanka bankrupt. It is the very same parliamentary majority that led to the bankruptcy. So the Sri Lankan people are eagerly waiting to express their opinions and provide their mandate for change. Change that will make the country prosperous.

Q) It is acknowledged widely that the incumbent President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is credited for bringing stability to the economy, but you are saying he is part of the problem and not the solution - that is a serious charge. Can you please elaborate?
A) If one takes out their laurels and gets on to the streets and talks to the poor, the downtrodden, the self-employed, the labour force, the entrepreneurs, the rural and urban estate sectors; if you look at the major sections of society, other than those who are super rich, people who have been impacted detrimentally, and if I may provide you with some statistics... stats which were ascertained by the government statistical department has Illustrated that more than 260,000 micro, small and medium sized enterprises have closed. Millions have become unemployed, millions more have become poor, and the government does not have a strategy to deal with it.

The micro, small, and medium sized enterprises contribute to 50% of GDP, employs over 4 million, so people are suffering from the policies of a government that has basically suffocated the people. So, if you achieving stability at great human cost... at a cost where people are suffering,  then I don't think that's the right way to do it.

Q) So, in comparison, what is your action plan?
A) Where we defer, is that we will grow ourselves out of the problem. We have to go on a massive economic growth trajectory. Huge amounts of FDI coming into Sri Lanka, restructuring of society to ensure that entrepreneurs thrive. That the hold of the bureaucracy, which has basically suffocated entrepreneurship, must be ended. Ensure that businesses flourish... ensure that the micro, small, and medium sized industry are given adequate support. What you have right now is not inclusivity, it's exclusive.

Q) So, how do you plan to ensure all this? How do you go about solving the funding problem? And furthermore, ensure that the economy grows and not shrinks because of the fund crunch?
A) You're quite correct in stating that the economy is fragile. That fragility does not give an excuse to be corrupt... to loot the public treasury. Shold we be elected, what we propose to do is to ensure that we follow good governance practices... ensure that the major indices that have a contributing factor with regard to foreign direct investment, good governance indices, ease of doing business... We should have a responsible government, a transparent government, and a  government that is accountable - All three are lacking at the moment.

Q) One of the criticisms your party has faced largely, is that you are promising large subsidies and freebies to people at a time when the economy is facing a fund crunch. Where will the funds come from? Would that not jeopardise the economy further?
A) We will eradicate the crony-capitalist structure that is existing at present. We will ensure that growth is the major phenomenon in our economic program. This government doesn't understand growth. They are contracting growth. To show everybody that the economy is stable, you're making everything smaller - That is not the way to go. We have to grow ourselves out of the problem. So, stability with malnutrition, stability with huge unemployment, stability with growth contraction, stability while losing livelihoods, stability while having lower standards of living... I'm sorry, I don't agree with that. The difference between the government and us is that we don't just focus on macroeconomics, we also look at the microeconomics. So, we are taking an overarching integrated approach, whereas this government is only keen on showing to the whole world and to a particular class in our country that everything is stable and fine.

Q) India has strategic interests in the region. India had and still has very close ties with Sri Lanka. How do you view the India-Sri Lanka relationship from here on?
A) When you talk of recovery, I must say in these very difficult and dire times, India has been one of the countries that has been very generous, and very supportive... and I would like to extend a very big thank you to the Indian government, PM Modi's government, and also to the people of India... and to the various states that have come forward to help our country. So, a big thank you. Having said that, I don't think Sri Lanka is on the correct path to recovery. So, we will ensure that we have a very balanced policy. Where India comes in, is that our External Affairs policy will be to promote our national interest. We will do what is right for our country, and it is in the interest of our country to have cordial relation with India and the rest of the powers in the world.

We do what recognise that we have a special relationship, a kinship, a camaraderie between our two countries and we have a history of positive progressive and good relationship. We have to build upon that and I think we will ensure that mutual interests that matter to both of us are accomplished.

Q) China is a significant player in the region and the last couple of years has seen a rise in Chinese Investments and  rise in Chinese naval presence in the region. How do you view the China equation for Sri Lanka?
A) As I mentioned to you, in our external relations, we have a special relationship with India. But we also have to work with all of the other nation states. I'm the only politician (from Sri Lanka) who has proposed that India must be included in the United Nations Security Council. Having said that, we as a country will work with all other countries, all other democracies, all other nation states to ensure that Sri Lanka's national interests are achieved. We will in no way work towards downgrading the security and geopolitical interests of others.

Q) What is your reasoning of wanting India as a veto power in the UN Security Council?
A) Well, that is a major reflection of global geopolitical reality and I must say it's not just China... all the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have veto power. Sri Lanka as a whole has been very balanced. We want to make sure that we protect our interests and also ensure that interests of other nation states are also not compromised and neutralised. So we are very sensitive to ensure that we don't interfere in the affairs of other nations.

Q) What would be your number one expectation or demand from India, keeping in mind your vision for Sri Lanka and the region?
A) First and foremost, I must say I don't demand. I always use uh the power to persuade. I will use all available skills at my disposal to persuade India to invest more in Sri Lanka, to support Sri Lanka to come out of this problem, to help the people of Sri Lanka... ensure that social and economic stability are protected. So, I would use my power to persuade your great country, India, to protect Sri Lankan people's human rights, not just political and civil rights, but their economic rights, their social rights, their right to life, right to alleviate poverty, right to alleviate unemployment... and that's the arena in which we hope to cooperate with India.