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The hills are alive with the refrain of election promises
The cool climes of the Central Province (CP) are hotting up with less than two weeks to go before the elections to the CPC. Issues such as housing, infrastructure, education, health, unemployment and cost of living have become the main campaign calls of candidates contesting the polls on September 21.
A total number of 1,859,557 voters, less 44,306 postal voters, will cast their votes at 1,571 polling stations in the Central Province. Postal voting will be on Monday (9) and Tuesday (10).
The United National Party (UNP) is critical of the ruling Party’s track record in the CP, saying that unemployment has risen to almost 40%. It was pointed out that unemployment makes it extremely difficult to cope with the increasing cost of living.
Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella, UNP’s CP organiser said that unemployment and rise in cost of living are the main campaign issues dominating election propaganda activities.
MP Kiriella said that there are no development activities taking place in the CP, as most garment factories have closed down. “The present government has not generated any employment opportunities to the youth in the province. They have to understand there is no point in doing development activities to attract people, when elections are due, which is also a violation of elections law”
He said there is nothing tangible the government can point to on the development aspect, as it has been nil. “There is nothing you can gain by using State resources for election campaigns, when there has not been any development within the province,” he said.
MP Kiriella pointed out that the UNP’s strategy is to hold pocket meetings and house-to-house campaigning which will reach the people. “We are doing our part in our propaganda activities. However, it is up to the people to deliver a positive message at the elections” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ceylon Workers Congress(CWC) and the National Workers Union (NWU)which is contesting in the Nuwara Eliya District under the UPFA ticket, is resorting to very much the same election campaign methods, as these parties address the same issues. There has also been intra-party violence involving these two parties.
CWC’s leading candidate in the Maskeliya electorate, Ramasamy Muthaiah said the main issue will be housing schemes for estate workers, higher education facilities for upcountry students, as well as overall enhancement of the education sector, in order to increase the number of students entering universities.
“We urge upcountry youngsters to engage in various professions, rather than sticking to teaching only, as 70% of them are involved in teaching,” he said. Mr Ramasamy said that youngsters are very supportive of the CWC in the forthcoming elections, as the candidates address their issues with extra consideration.
Meanwhile NWU leader parliamentarian P. Digambaram said that, during the past 50 years, a specific family has been ruling the whole Nuwara Eliya district without any development, and survived with people’s contributions. Therefore, the NWU is campaigning to save people from the dark ages.
“We are campaigning for all types of facilities to improve the day-to-day lifestyle of estate sector employees, as they face many problems from infrastructure to education,” he said. NWU’s leading female candidate Saraswathy Sivaguru said that the main concern will be development in the Nuwara Eliya district, where women in the estate sector lack most of the facilities.
“Most upcountry women are employed in the garment sector, as teachers and as domestic aides. Women working in the garment sector and as domestic aides are facing many problems from general exploitation to sexual abuse. Therefore, our campaign will be to solve all these problems by educating them,” she said.
She also said that one of her main campaign resolutions is to reconstruct damaged line-houses in the estate sector.
According to Network for Election Monitoring reports, complaints received have now arisen to 375 incidents, with Kurunegala district leading with 200.
CaFFE (Campaign for Free and Fair Elections) Director Keerthi Thennakoon said that unlawful election propaganda activities are on the rise and complaints in this connection have been lodged with the Commissioner of Elections. CaFFE reported 129 incidents of misuse of public property, use of State employees for electioneering, appointments and transfers during hustings, which are around 40% of the incidents reported.
Illegal election propaganda activities amount to 145 complaints which are around 45%. People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said that of the 309 complaints received, 255 incidents were confirmed
CaFFE and PaFFREL both said the Commissioner of Elections has taken immediate action to resolve the issues that have arisen. CaFFE officials stated that the Commissioner had dispatched a special team to remove all illegal propaganda material in Nawalapitiya and Gampola.
Anuruddha Jayaratna, son of Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna is among those contesting in the area.
PCs serve no purpose: Public
By Shelton Hettiarachchi
As the date of the elections to three Provincial Councils draw near, several residents in the Nuwara Eliya District aired their views on the viability of the PC system for the country.
Sarath Thenuwara (57), a farmer from Meepilimana, said that the PCs were forced on Sri Lanka under the Indo–Lanka Accord, but have been of no help to the country. “What was signed by (former Indian Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi and then President J.R. Jayewardene has only given us a headache. The system is good for India, but not Sri Lanka,” he said.
M.S. Hussain (43), a businessman said, “The system may have helped the ethnic issue to some extent, but as a whole, the system has rendered little.”
S Wijayakumar (44), a labourer on an estate, said he has too many financial problems to worry about PC elections. “Many politicians approach us promising this and that, but we have not got anything. I am a sportsman and I needed a sports kit that cost Rs. 950, and no one helped me. The PC has not helped us either, and I am not keen to vote,” he said.
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