Ranjan Ramanayake

Actor-turned-politician Ranjan Ramanayake accused the government of masterminding his recent arrest and claimed that he wouldn’t have undergone such a traumatic situation had he supported the government on the controversial 18th Amendment.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader  after he was bailed out by the Kandy court, Ramanayake said that he had to serve a jail term for an offense he has not committed, but simply for refusing to support the government on the 18th Amendment.
Ramanayake was arrested on Thursday, October 14 and by Kandy police. According to Police Spokesperson SP Preshantha Jayakody, Ramanayake had taken Rs. 1 million from a female school teacher in Kandy, promising to marry her.
“This is what the genuine opposition politicians or supporters in Sri Lanka would have to face if they do not support the government. This is not new to the world as we have seen countries that had dictatorship regimes and as to how their leaders have treated opponents. For example, take Zimbabwe – the Robert Mugabe regime, Iraq – the Saddam Hussein regime and even in Myanmar none of their leaders’ opponents were able to live peacefully. It is the same thing that is happening in our country. The more you criticize the present regime, the more your life is at risk,” claimed Ramanayake.
According to Ramanayake, he has been arrested by a police team who came in civvies without a court order or a letter from the speaker.
“I was arrested while I was at a discussion with the Deputy Mayor of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, bypassing the normal procedure. The police officers who came to arrest me were in civvies and neither carried an arrest order or a letter from the speaker. Violating all these norms, they arrested me for an offence I have never committed. Even one of my staffers, Upul, who is on the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry payroll, was assaulted by this police team when he requested them to produce my arrest warrant to him,” Ramanayake said.
According to Ramanayake, this female school teacher in question is 42 year old Namal Wijeratne from the Katugastota Rahula Maha Vidyalaya whom, according to him, has been known to him for the past ten years.
“Since 2000 she was one of my fans and has sent me letters, cards, cakes, pillow covers etc. although I knew nothing about her. I knew that she was coming on the wrong track and tried to avoid her many times, but still she kept on calling and sending me letters and gifts. Even once she sent me one of her photographs in a bikini and asked me to comment on her figure. When I ignored her, then she started to comment on my film One Shot and even went beyond, praising my half covered body. Then I knew what her mentality was and ignored her. But she kept on calling me and sending me gifts. Other than this I did not have any other relationship with her, or taken money as she has stated,” Ramanayake said.
Speaking further, Ramanayake queried as to why he would take Rs. 1 million from a woman when he had the opportunity to take Rs. 100 million and many more perks with positions from the government, had he voted for the 18th Amendment in parliament last month.
Accusing the government of pushing the legal authorities to take any possible action against him for not supporting the government on the 18th Amendment, Ramanayake said that he would have been a free man if he supported the 18th Amendment.
“I knew from the beginning that the government was hunting for me because they could not ‘buy’ me for money. From the time I started to contest the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Election in 2008, the government was eyeing me and wanted me to support them to which they were willing to reward me handsomely. But since I was not greedy for money or positions, I did not want to betray my policies and the party. I have concrete evidence to prove as to how government big wigs offered to pay me Rs. 100 million, give me a luxury jeep and a house at Kalapura in Mt. Lavinia in order to get my support for them,” Ramanayake said.
According to Ramanayake, he has never been summoned by any legal authority, although he has openly stated that the government tried to bribe him on many occasions and is ready to prove to them as he has all the evidence to establish this.
“All this happened because I did not crossover to the government. Even the day I was arrested, one of the leading SLFP parliamentarians from the Colombo District met me at my lawyer’s residence and wanted me to extend my support to the President, assuring me that legal action of any form would not be taken against me. Notwithstanding, once I was told by a certain leader in the government that the doors of Temple Trees are open for me any time,” he claimed.
He further said that from the time he became the Opposition Leader of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, he has been receiving death threats and although he made several requests to the authorities to provide him a weapon for his safety, it has not been granted.
“Since then I have been receiving death threats. My vehicle came under attack and all this worsened when I campaigned for the former army commander at the January presidential election. It was I who was with Sarath Fonseka when he was released from Cinnamon Lakeside on that fateful day and no sooner my visuals with Fonseka were shown over TV, I was threatened with death,” Ramanayake charged.
Several attempts to contact the complainant, Ms. Namal Wijeratne by The Sunday Leader failed as the Principal of Sri Rahula Maha Vidyalaya Katugastota, E.M. Edirisinghe, refused to call Ms. Wijeratne to the phone.

Recently The Sunday Times in particular ran prominent stories about the alleged “unsavoury” happenings at the ‘Capri’ a popular social club at Kollupitiya, Colombo 3. At one point even racial abuse was being thrown at each other. While this is essentially an internal matter for the club, to be addressed by its members, we now understand that outsiders have been stoking the fire for reasons which are not too hard to guess. It appears that one of the outsiders involved was none other than Sinha Ratnatunge, Editor of The Sunday Times which lent prominence to the shenanigans going on at the Capri, week after week.
The fact is that not so long ago Ratnatunge was a regular “guest” of one of the office bearers who later was a victim  of the journalistic  invective of this newspaper. Namely, Ananda Chittampalam, Vice President of the Capri Club.  The issue is this. Ratnatunge blatantly ignored rules pertaining to “guest visits” which eventually led to the breach in his friendship with Chittampalam. Or was it a question of familiarity breeding contempt!
Ratnatunge in fact not only ignored the rules pertaining to “guest visits” but despite the fact that he is not a member at the club has on repeated occasions himself hosted and entertained “guests” at the Capri.
In a letter dated August 18, 2010, the President of the club D. Morgan Fernando wrote to all club members.  In this letter he refers to a note sent to all members on July 7th this year titled “Some matters pertaining to the club.”
Quote: “In Clause 4, I referred to a guest who had come on eight occasions within a matter of six weeks in June and July 2010 (and continued to come thereafter). This reference was to the Editor of The Sunday Times who has been visiting the Club as a guest of two members. Ironically, the two members have thought it fit not to sign him in even once during the period. The Guest Book is available for anyone to see for the period May to July 2010.”
“When a Member of the Committee brought to his notice and stated that we would be delighted to have him as a Member, his response (Ratnatunge) was that he is not interested in joining the Club and he will come only as a guest.  Every Sunday he preaches ‘Good Governance’ in his editorials but does not approve the Club of practicing ‘Good Governance’.”! Unquote.
Thereafter, Morgan Fernando adds, that a newspaper article which appeared on page 4 of The Sunday Times on August 15, 2010 seems to be an example of “The Empire Strikes Back.”
The article in question was written by Leon Berenger, a journalist at The Sunday Times. Fernando states that on August 12, “Mr. Berenger telephoned me and the Hony. Secretary for comments on the VAT issue and other issues pertaining to the Club. When speaking to us he seemed to have knowledge of whatever was going on in the Club. Obviously he had been briefed by a Member of the Club.”

We reproduce below an excerpt of the article published on August 15, 2010 in The Sunday Times which ran a story headlined:

Capri Club President, Deputy, Found Guilty Of Breaking Rules
Special Committee finds Morgan Fernando and Ananda Chittampalam circumvented club rules in questionable VAT scam

By Leon Berenger

The President and the Vice President of one of Colombo’s leading social clubs have been found guilty of violating their own rules and their own constitution over a VAT issue involving the club.
A special select committee of the club membership has found that President Morgan Fernando and Vice President Ananda Chittampalam had circumvented club rules by hiring a tax consultant without involving others in the management committee and paid him a princely sum of Rs. 575,000 as his fees. This is to settle an Inland Revenue Department VAT claim that amounted to only Rs. 528,000.
The 57-year-old Capri Club, located centrally in Kollupitiya, has a wide cross section of members ranging from honourable gentlemen, professionals, businessmen, planters and arms dealers among them.
The select committee has ruled that Mr. Chittampalam had “overstated” by as much as Rs.1.8 million the amount the Inland Revenue Department had claimed from the club “for reasons unknown to the committee” and rushed through with the payment to the tax consultant, stating that this needed to be done to obtain the bar licence before January 1, 2010.

“This article indeed has prostituted journalism and it is very clear that the purpose of this article was to do a ‘hatchet’ job on myself and particularly the Vice President,” Morgan Fernando said.
The article in question stated that the Vice President had over-stated by as much as Rs.1.8 million the amount claimed by the DIR.  According to Fernando, this was despite him having stated that the Vice President had no correspondence with the Select Committee and that they owe him an apology for stating his name incorrectly.
“Nowhere has the General Membership called this matter a fraud as indicated,” Fernando said, adding that the reference that the Tax Consultant was prepared to return a portion of his fees is incorrect.  “I informed Mr. Berenger that he had indeed returned the entire Rs. 575,000 but the Committee unanimously decided to return the cheque.”
“In the last para of this article they refer to 40 new members who have been brought in for political reasons for voting at the next AGM. Forty two new members were brought, in order to raise the revenue for the Club and we have raised Rs. 2.5 million as a result. I doubt whether anyone can challenge the high quality of the new members,” Fernando states in his letter to the members.
“I was advised that the best thing is to ignore the article which appeared in this ‘Rag.’ Obviously the newspaper and the ‘gutter journalist’ Mr. Berenger do not know the truth from falsehood,” Fernando said.
The story does not end there.  According to Fernando, Restaurant Secretary Nihal Perera resigned from the Club after he had been repeatedly threatened over the telephone. The caller had verbally abused him “stating unmentionable comments about the Hotel and that it is a conflict of interest for him to hold office in the Capri because he was using the Capri staff (both male and female) at his Hotel,” Fernando said. He adds that Nihal Perera runs an exclusive Hotel in Moratuwa. “Not once but repeatedly Perera was abused in this manner,” Fernando charged, adding “the bottom line was that if he did not resign they will publish this in The Sunday Times. Now from slander we have graduated to threats,” he said.
That apart Ratnatunge also failed to publish that both Morgan Fernando and Ananda Chittampalam were re-instated following a court injunction.
Ratnatunge also failed to ever state that a “friend” Aruna Fernando, Treasurer of the Capri, was named and found guilty in the VAT Commission report.
In the “media world” it is no secret how cleverly Sinha Ratnatunge not only engages in double speak and double standards but has manipulated and influenced the judging process of nominees for awards given to journalists in the yearly ‘Journalism Awards For Excellence.’
How else can one explain the blatant circumvention of  rules and regulations stated in black and white for a panel of judges to follow in relation to the ‘Scoop Of The Year’ award for 2009 (which went to The Sunday Times News Desk for a series of articles) as well as the awarding of a prize, the ‘D.R. Wijewardene Award For Earning The Appreciation Of Peers And The Public’ to Iqbal Athas, for consistently reporting on defence matters for the year 2009 when he never wrote a single defence copy during the whole of 2009! His last column was on December 28, 2008.
The main award was nevertheless given to Iqbal Athas while Shamindra Ferdinando, Sirimevan Kasthuriarachchi, Mihiri Fonseka and Ramesh Warallagama received ‘honourable mention’. This despite the fact that the relevant citation had mentioned that the year under consideration, 2009, was a period of political and military uncertainly and that the awarders wanted to reward writing in the public interest, keeping the people informed and offering relevant analysis.
We journalists however can still take heart that amongst our breed most of whom confine themselves to Sri Lanka’s favourite pastime – stabbing each other in the back – there are a yet a few among us who continue to stand tall and be counted. And in that context one name springs to mind – that of Shamindra Ferdinando of the Daily Island newspaper.  Ferdinando, at least had the gumption to return the merit award given to him as runner-up to the D. R Wijewardene award, rightly insisting that he had  consistently reported on defence matters throughout the year 2009 – including filing reports from the frontline too  – while Iqbal Athas had done neither but was nevertheless given the  prize.
Of course, one hardly expected the News Desk of The Sunday Times to follow in Ferdinando’s footsteps. Knowing full well the award given to them was in clear violation of the criteria laid down for that particular category they nevertheless unashamedly picked up the award for ‘Scoop Of The Year’ (obviously on the instructions of their boss and Editor Sinha Ratnatunge) for “a series of articles” when the category in black and white clearly states: Quote “This category is for the journalist or team of journalists who have published the SINGLE BEST exclusive report for the year that had national implications. Please submit a copy of THE story and supporting statement” unquote.  That the awards – for the ‘Scoop Of The Year’ and the ‘D.R. Wijewardene Award For Earning The Appreciation Of Peers And The Public,’ was in blatant disregard of rules and regulations set out by the Editors Guild and the Sri Lanka Press Institute – both bodies under the watchful eye of Sinha Ratnatunge  and Ranjit Wijewardene – Chairman, Wijeya Group of Newspapers was not only ignored but surreptitiously manipulated.
Both Ratnatunge and Wijewardene together with the current President of the Editors Guild, Manik De Silva and Chairman, Sri Lanka Press Institute, Kumar Nadesan thereafter studiously ignored a written complaint from The Sunday Leader to this effect. All this from editors and publishers who every Sunday preach good governance and moral practices. That the Chairman of the judging committee Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam also chose to ignore with blatant disregard the rules and criteria he was expected to follow when choosing nominees for the awards, despite us having delivered to him the criteria and written seeking fair play in relation to the selecting of the winners. Kariyawasam however failed to live up to his reputation acting instead in a manner that was both irresponsible and unethical – including being downright rude in choosing to ignore also a written complaint.
And as showcased in the Capri Club drama this newspaper group (The Wijeya Group) clearly sees fit to ignore the very basics of journalistic ethics which they nevertheless loudly tout to other media organisations insisting we all practise and abide by same.
This group in fact refused to carry a correction when they had clearly misreported facts with relation to evidence given pertaining to court proceedings in the ‘White Flag case.’
At The Sunday Leader we pride ourselves on saying it as it is – and we have said this before and we will say it again.  We remain unbowed and unafraid and do not wrap our reports in selective heresay or diplomatic speak – afraid the truth will only get us into trouble.
It is indeed disheartening that a newspaper group that used to pride themselves on being credible and ethical is today not only subservient and servile but selective in its reportage and biased too as we pointed out in our columns last Sunday.
And as it is clear in their reporting of the internal crisis surrounding the Capri Club it was this same newspaper – The Sunday Times — when reporting on the ‘White Flag Case’ last Sunday (10) ran a banner headline saying “Editor Admits To Mistake During Defence Counsel Grilling” lending readers the impression that I had admitted to making a mistake on reporting the story “Gota Order Them Killed,” of December 13, 2009.  When in fact the “mistake” they were referring to was merely that I got wrong the surname of Amal Jayasinghe, Bureau Chief for AFP.  A momentary lapse of memory I had in the box which Amal Jayasinghe himself had no issue with. For no sooner I got out of court that day I tried calling him to apologise only to learn he was away – nevertheless, he responded to my apologetic text message saying “Am out at the moment. No worries. No chance to read any of the reports yet.”
But The Sunday Times for vested reasons all their own – as did their sister paper the Daily Mirror consistently slanted their reports on the court proceedings deliberately  giving it a misleading perspective and banner headlines that had nothing to do with the charge in relation to the case. Of course we expect nothing  better of the Wijeya Group. It’s a case of singing for your supper. The larger revenue from advertising and also getting other contracts (government is the biggest business in Sri Lanka) depends how close to the regime one is.
And so, the Group has now reduced and restricted themselves to reporting selective rubbish that has effectively rubber-stamped this government’s muzzling of the “independent press.”
What has become of journalists of the caliber of Tarzie Vittachi, D. Sivaram (Taraki), Mervyn De Silva and last but not least Lasantha Wickrematunge? Why are today’s media houses not only bowing to the dictates of an autocratic regime but also bending over backwards to not just servile but selective in their reports deliberately destroying any and all attempts at being non partisan?
If indeed we wish to construct an effective opposition in Parliament then we must not only concentrate in choosing the best leader and re-building an effective team but we as journalists as members of the fourth estate must first ensure our credibility and impartiality.
Why has our local media forgotten what compromises simple journalistic ethics?  The principles by which we should all govern ourselves when we put pen to paper?
In addition to the legal rights and obligations set forth in the relevant legal norms, the media have an ethical responsibility towards citizens and society which must be underlined at the present time, when information and communication play a very important role in the formation of citizens’ personal attitudes and the development of society and democratic life.  The journalist’s profession comprises rights and obligations, freedoms and responsibilities.  The basic principle of any ethical consideration of journalism is that a clear distinction must be drawn between news and opinion, making it impossible to confuse them.  And of course most important of all our reports should be based on truthfulness, ensured by the appropriate means of verification and proof, and impartiality in presentation, description and narration. Rumour must not be confused with news. News headlines and summaries must reflect as closely as possible the substance of the facts and data presented. But all of this is thrown by the wayside – trashed in fact – by a media that has chosen to not only be partisan, fearful of incurring the wrath of a regime they perceive to be dictatorial but sub-standard to the point of no return.
With the exception of course of The Sunday Leader, the Ravaya and Lakbima newspapers, we have editors in place who no longer have the courage to stand tall for what is right. Editors and publishers who sup with the President when commandeered to do so at his behest, too afraid to even voice an opinion – when they dine with him. They sit around meekly refusing to even engage him on matters of national interest but instead grin sheepishly, literally gulp their food and vanish. This is the current calibre of media bosses local journalists are expected to look up to and emulate.
As pointed out in my editorial last Sunday every week you buy the lie. You buy the lie that this is a functioning media. They sell the lie that this is a functioning democracy. A week later they wrap your lunch in it, which is about all it’s really good for.
Most papers today are just lies to keep the rice from falling out. As long as the economy keeps us fed, we don’t really care. We are pumped full of stories via print, SMS, TV and radio but there is precious little meat. It is only bland press releases with the occasional chili like Mervyn Silva, enough to keep you consuming more. It was the final phase of the war that saw the media turn servile.  So thanks to a servile UPFA, a weak opposition and a pliant media democracy;freedom of speech and expression is all but dead in Sri Lanka.

Fonseka for the future

There were 28 holes in my body. But I was so near the blast I felt nothing.  The men in front of me were  dead.  Around me I could hear the screams of the dying. My driver was dead, my outriders had been blown away.
From my car’s shattered window,  I watched the surviving commandos take up positions around the bomb site  and secure the area. Then  first-aid teams came and began taking the survivors to hospital.
I waited to be evacuated, I waited for several minutes but no one came, they assumed I was dead.
So I climbed  out of the vehicle, stood bleeding  on the side of the road and called for help.

Moments after the blast: He survived a deadly suicide attack in 2006

When I finally got to the hospital the doctors found severe internal bleeding, pellets from the explosion  had penetrated every part of my body — my lungs, my stomach, kidneys, all suffered damage.  My uniform was so saturated with blood the doctors were unable to remove it.  Only my heart and brain were spared.  And that was all I needed.  I survived,  and six  weeks later I returned  to do my duty.”

This tale of survival, of a severely injured man stepping out of a smoldering vehicle to let rescuers know he was still alive is extraordinary.   And all the more extraordinary as it comes from a man who now stands a very good chance of being the next president of this country.
It was only a matter of chance, or fate that Gen. Sarath Fonseka survived the suicide attack unleashed against him by the LTTE.

Suicide attack on Fonseka: Looking back on how it happened

But he does not speak of the event with the bitterness or anger you might expect.  Instead he related his startling story of survival with the same deliberation — and in the same matter of fact tone with which he responded  to all the questions posed during our short interview.

By R. Wijewardena

Q: You finished a glittering career in the army as a national hero so what has made you step into the fickle world of politics? What is it you want to achieve by becoming president of this country?

A: Just look around you.  Anyone can see that this is still a severely underdeveloped country. The county’s difficulties are no secret but the question is why? Why after 60 years of independence are  we still in this state?

And the answer; corruption.

There is theft and wastage at every level.  It  is draining this country, bleeding it dry — and it starts at the top.  So what I plan to do it is to eliminate corruption — to wage war on corruption, in order to allow  the country to unlock its true potential.

Q: But as you say corruption is entrenched how do you plan on eliminating it?

A: I succeeded in eliminating corruption in the army, and I will succeed in eliminating corruption in government.  Corruption, like everything starts at  the top.

In the army we learned that leadership is everything. If the leadership sets an example and holds others accountable the rest will fall in line.
I am not corrupt  and I will not tolerate corruption.

Of course in order to wholly eradicate corruption there will have to be institutional and policy changes —  the  17th Amendment could  make a difference,    but ultimately it is a matter of  leadership and about leaders having the will to fight corruption.

Q: Corruption is a key platform of your campaign but  there have been allegations  of corruption  leveled against you… particularly concerning your son in law’s involvement with Hicorp.

A: These allegations are absolutely baseless. Hicorp  Sri Lanka was a local company founded by some young Royalists, many of whom were known to my son.

However my son had no direct connection with the company and despite submitting tenders it never won any contracts. Hicorp of the USA was registered in Oaklahoma and my son was a point of contact for the company   though he was not involved in founding it. The company needed a US address and Danuna’s was provided as a contact address, that was the extent of his involvement.

While that company did win a tender to supply  security cameras to army headquarters — documents prove that this tender was awarded while I was recovering from the 2006 suicide attack.  I was in hospital and played absolutely no part in awarding the tender.

These allegations are part of an empty smear campaign and government money is being paid through one of our embassies to the Asian Tribune to perpetuate these lies.

But all anyone needs to do is look at where we live and how we live to see that we  have not been involved in any corruption.  Then look at the people making the allegations – the government — look at their life styles.  I think its clear who is involved in corruption.

The government is in no position to make allegations of corruption – when every single major defense purchase was coordinated by  Lanka Logistics. Everyone knows who is in charge of Lanka Logistics. This single ‘company’ was in sole charge of all defence purchases, billions of rupees, for four years.

As Army Commander I held a nominal one share in the company but never saw a copy of its accounts.  That is because  there are no audited accounts and there were also no tenders.

The deals were arranged entirely by the Defence Secretary working  through contacts and suppliers. And all purchases were rubber stamped by the cabinet. The army played  absolutely no role in the  purchases. In fact, often we did not request the equipment purchased.

Almost all the contracts were given to Chinese companies….There was no transparency. When  irregularities were reported — like for example the MiG Deal — the government, tried to forbid journalists from covering defence purchases on the grounds of security.

But that was not about security, the army had no objection to the scrutiny of defence purchases. It was the government  trying to hide corruption using security as an excuse. That’s how everything works.   Not just defence purchases but every single ditch in this country is built the same way.

They (the government) finds a contractor,  usually a contact/ relative and asks for a quotation.  If they get a quotation for 20 million they award a contract for 40 million, then pocket the excess. It is this criminal behaviour that I am going to stop.

Q: You previously stated that you would not enter politics – now you are a presidential candidate, doesn’t this reflect on your credibility?

A: When I accepted the post of CDS I said  I didn’t have any interest in pursuing a political career and I was sincere in what I said. But the treatment I  received after being installed as CDS compelled me to reconsider this decision.

The  government was plotting against me, reducing my security and refusing to grant me any authority.  They broke their promises and I felt they had used me.  And I saw they were doing the same thing to the army and  the country.

Exploiting  them for their own benefit. The army has become totally politicized.  All the major decisions are being taken by the Defence Ministry. Officers are being promoted only because of their political connections, not because of their ability.

They  are sidelining good officers they think are loyal to me to promote their stooges. They are about to make Major Pannipitiya, a man who is currently under investigation for forging tender documents and treasure hunting,  Chief of Defense Staff, and are  interfering in the court marshal proceeding against him.

In government they do the same… appointing  their supporters and thugs to senior positions. Seeing that, and knowing the effect it has on the country, I decided to put a stop to it.  I felt I had no choice but to stand by the country…. This was not an easy decision to make but to complete my service to the country I feel I had no other choice.

Q: Is there anything in your background that has drawn you to a political career?

A: I was born into a very ordinary family — my parents were teachers in Ambalangoda. In fact my first school was a  thatched building in Ampara, where my parents were posted.  We lived in a mud walled home — it was a very simple life.

Later we returned to Ambalangoda and  I attended Dharmasoka Vidyalaya,  until  grade 9, when I was transferred to  Ananda College in Colombo.

I had always been interested in the army – I was a keen cadet at school and even used to accompany the cadets on marches when I was too young to join.  Leaving school I had no doubts.  I wanted to join the army and in 1970  I achieved my dream and I was selected to enter the army as an officer cadet.

I spent the next 40 years – more than any other officer in the army doing my best for the country. I served in every major campaign in the past four decades doing my duty as a soldier.

So really there is nothing exceptional in my background.  But I have always wanted to serve this country.  And from my childhood in Ampara and Ambalangoda and my years in the army I   know every part of the island and have always been close to the ordinary people and soldiers. I wanted to help the country and its people  go forward and by eliminating terrorism I did all I could as a soldier.

But I realised that was not the end of the problem that there is another menace, as bad, terrorising the ordinary people, and that is corruption.

So  I want to continue doing my duty to the country and only by winning the election and serving as president will I be able to achieve my goal —  to eliminate corruption and allow this country to achieve its full potential.