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A PROMISE TO DELIVER Harin Fernando, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, is one of the young Cabinet Ministers of the current Government. He started the winning wave for the United National Party, with the Uva Provincial Elections that many do not remember today. The Minister speaks about the need to deliver on the promises made as every politician’s duty to his electorate. Many plans have been made to develop Badulla and the Uva Province. The sectors of telecommunication and digital infrastructure too are going through a massive change. There are extensive plans being formulated but delivery is the key. By Udeshi Amarasinghe Photography Menaka Aravinda and Mahesh Bandara Harin Fernando, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure 2 BUSINESS TODAY SEPTEMBER 2016 businesstoday.lk businesstoday.lk SEPTEMBER 2016 BUSINESS TODAY 3 Who is Harin Fernando? Why did you join the UNP at that time? I was the vocal person of the group and I Harin Fernando is a citizen of Sri Lanka, a I am not from a political family and we had to contest against a Rajapaksa. That was politician and father of two children. Born in were not UNP or SLFP. But I always supported the biggest challenge. This was not in Colombo Wattala and representing the people of Badulla. the UNP. I was probably about three years either, which would have been easier. It was Currently holding a post of a ministry that is old and we were living in Ratmalana at that very difficult to get the campaign off the trying to create a digital revolution in Sri time. My father knew former President ground. Lanka. J R Jayewardene. He took me for a function The Prime Minister asked me to contest the where I had to wear a ‘national’ and garland Uva Provincial Council elections, I agreed on How did you enter politics and can you the President on stage. From that day onwards the grounds that the party should unite. elaborate on your journey thus far? I always supported the UNP. That was the only I spoke with Sajith about it and he agreed. I did not have any idea of getting into reason for me to support the party. My first This election would incur a great cost because politics because I wanted to be a pilot during interaction with any political party was with it was an election against a Rajapaksa. We my school days. I went for my higher studies to the UNP. Ever since that time I have been needed to gather momentum, my father who Australia to specialize in management as my following the green. was my greatest funding source backed out parents did not want me to be a pilot because Politics at times is similar to a cult and because he had supported me to get into they felt that I did not have the patience to do people do not generally decide on principles. parliament previously and did not agree with so. Once I returned to Sri Lanka I started But for me when I started learning politics I this move. The Prime Minister went home and working in a logistics company. During this preferred the centre right, liberal thinking, convinced my father who finally agreed but did time I had a small fallout with my father, therefore I focused more on that type of not fund the campaign. which made me leave Colombo and go to political thinking and culture. I was one of the This was the best experience in my life, Badulla to start a small business. youngest because when I resigned from Parliament to It is in Badulla that everything started. I You resigned from Parliament to contest the politicians in contest the election I said I will come back to fell in love with the people of that area. I got Provincial Council elections. It is with you Badulla and the Parliament again and that I will come back married from Badulla; my wife’s family was getting the highest number of votes in the Uva only as a minister. As such when I returned to UNP was losing involved in politics. They gave me the Province that the tide changed for the UNP. Parliament it was a very emotional moment for opportunity to get into politics. At that time What can you tell us about this? heavily at that me because I had said that without thinking to there was a huge vacuum in the district in Many people have forgotten this day. time. I had the keep the morale high. When I won and actually terms of leadership and everyone rallied The Prime Minister, Hon Karu Jayasuriya, opportunity and came back to Parliament and was appointed as together to support me. I was one of the Hon Kabir Hashim, my family and I: it was the platform to a Cabinet Minister I started to believe that youngest politicians in that area and the UNP the few of us who decided I should contest work with there is a God above. was losing heavily at that time. I had the the provincial council elections. While we The intention during the Provincial Council unbeatable. Generally, when the people start to opportunity and the platform to work with were in the opposition there was a group everyone and election was very clear. We worked together as feel tired of the Government they will want to everyone and build up the confidence. of us; Ruwan Wijewardena, Harsha De Silva, build up the a party. The people wanted a change and the My campaign teach a lesson. That can happen to any of us Eran Wickramaratne, Ajith Perera and confidence. manner in which the people of Uva supported slogan was very easily. You should not get comfortable in Why did you enter politics? Niroshan Perera. We used to meet every week me was phenomenal. Words cannot describe your positions and you have to always be with I do not think any politician knows why at Ruwan’s house and we would discuss how they came around. I spent only about 20% about change. the people. they got into politics. If they say it is because matters till the early hours of the morning. We of what the other side spent on the campaign, People knew My campaign slogan was about change. they wanted to do something for the country would discuss on how we could think out of the but we were able to gather momentum. The that the Uva People knew that the Uva election will not that is not really true. But being in politics box for the UNP to form a Government. We had best example of how the people can change is election will not bring about a change in the country but the pushes you to get you there at some point of no alternative because everything we were Uva. bring about a people in Uva believed in me. This also your life due to various reasons. I probably got doing was going against us and we had The only reason I cannot sleep now is that validated a point the UNP was still an active there because of my passion in wanting to internal party issues as well. We were thinking I know that I have a responsibility towards the change in the party. We rose from 29 per cent to 44 per cent achieve something in life. I also realized that of how we could turn things around. people who supported me. They have done country but the and with our partners we became 51 per cent. there is a limit to what you can do alone. The The Western Provincial Council elections their part and it is now my time to deliver to people in Uva This created a great change in the perception greatest thing about doing politics is that your were held prior to the Uva Provincial Council them on the promises that were made. believed in me. of the country and they realised that the UNP vision will be carried on. You can really get the elections. At that time we did suggest to This also was up and running. people to follow you so that you achieve Harsha to contest. However, he was not very You mentioned also that in the Uva election When you look at the ethnic and religious a common aim. But if you are just a social comfortable with that because he had entered you contested against a politician who was validated a point breakdown the statistics are similar to the of worker it is very difficult to get that attention Parliament on the National List and did not considered almighty at that time. Can you tell the UNP was still the country. The entire Uva election was taken and support. have the experience of contesting an election. us about that experience? an active party. as an ideal sample by my Prime Minister on The joy for me is the ability to make what We did not want to push him either because Politics is very unpredictable, this is a good how the people of Sri Lanka will vote. I believe in a reality. In politics you are able to he did not want to go for his first election in experience for us as well. You should never The UNP started to pick up in other areas do that. this way. become complacent and think that you are as well because they started to believe in 4 BUSINESS TODAY SEPTEMBER 2016 businesstoday.lk businesstoday.lk SEPTEMBER 2016 BUSINESS TODAY 5 themselves.

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