Gota’s Interview Re-Produced For Comments
July 5, 2013
The Colombo Telegraph has received a considerable amount of emails requesting us to re-produce the yesterday’s Daily Mirror interview with the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They point out that Daily Mirror readers are not allowed to comment under the said article and this is the first time that such a ban is in place. We publish below the Daily Mirror interview in full allowing readers to give their comments.
I deplore any form of extremism; Gota |
The country’s powerful Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa spoke to the Daily Mirror in one of his most wide ranging interviews in recent times, on a gamut of issues. Rajapaksa explained why he believes that devolution of power is not the solution to the national question.He also expressed his candid views about his percieved relationship with hard-line Sinhala groups,the issues surrounding the arrest of a senior Police officer on charges of murder and about the controversial Matale mass grave among other topics on this interview.
Full interview
Q: You come from a political family. What are your views on the presidencies of J.R. Jayewardene, R.Premadasa and Chandrika BandaranaikeYour impressions of their times in power?
Gota
I was in the Army under President Jayewardene and President Premadasa, and I see it purely in a defence perspective, in the sense of national security. In my view, both President Jayewardene and President Premadasa were not able to properly understand and comprehend the situation which was leading to the conflict that dragged on for so many years.
