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Goodies to induce voters as nomination date nears
With Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya announcing dates for handing over of nominations to the Uva Provincial Council polls, political parties are not wasting any time to win over voters.
Posters have sprung up in many areas in the Badulla and Moneragala Districts with photographs of prospective candidates while the distribution of various goods meant to induce voters is also underway.
UPFA politicians launch campaign with balloons and all. Pix by Palitha Ariyawansa
In the Moneragala District, supporters of leading politicians in the area have begun collecting goods to be distributed through voluntary organisations to the people in the area. These include items such as household utensils, cement, building materials, as well as furniture.
The Elections Commissioner announced that nominations will be accepted between July 30 and August 6 at the nomination centres in the respective District Secretariats.
The election campaign is expected to be a high profile one with the former Chief Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa seeking re-election, while UNP Badulla District MP Harin Fernando is set to contest as the UNP’s Chief Ministerial candidate.
The JVP has announced that Samantha Vidyaratna, its former MP for Badulla will be the Group Leader of the Party in the Province.
Mr. Fernando said the UNP nomination board will decide who else is going to contest the upcoming provincial election.
“We will give preference to the former provincial council members and expect to include three or four contestants from the Tamil and Muslim communities,” he said.
Mr. Fernando added there is a special committee headed by MP Eran Wickramaratna to look into problems the Uva Province facing now.
“We are preparing the manifesto. Particularly farmers and tea small holders are facing a lot of problems and we are determined to address them all in our manifesto,” he said.
United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Parlimentarian from Badulla W.J.M. Udith S Lokubandara said their main target in the province is to supply proper drinking water to every one by the end of 2015.
“We do not change our manifesto from election to election. Under the nationalistic view of the “Mahinda Chintanaya” we are focusing on the infrastructure, irrigation issues and development projects in the province,” he said.
He claimed that the ongoing council under the UPFA leadership managed to rebuild three major tanks and 100 minor tanks.
Democratic People’s Front’s leader Mano Ganesan said his party is yet to decide its stand on the provincial elections after his party’s political committee meeting over to the
A bus stand plastered with posters
weekend.
We have three options. Contesting on our own or supporting the majority parties, probably the UNP. If neither option is possible we intend to unite all minority parties under one umbrella, he said.
Mr. Ganeshan said that if his party contests on its own it will be only in Badulla under the ladder symbol.
Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) President Muthu Sivalingam said his party is
People lacking basic facilities: No bridge to cross the waters
expecting to meet this weekend to decide whether it is to contest in an alliance with the UPFA.
The National Union of Workers party has decided to contest with the UPFA, its national organiser S.Sritharan told the Sunday Times.
“Our party’s high level committee has decided to work closely with the ruling party to ensure a representation of the minority community in the Badulla district,” he said.
R.Rajamanickam, a well known former school principal, is to represent his party in the provincial election, Mr. Sritharan said
Referring to the Election Commissioner’s decision to reduce three seats in the Badulla District and add them to the Moneragala District, he said representation of the minorities in the Badulla district is questionable.
Plantation Workers Congress (PWC) General Secretary Vadivel Suresh claimed that he will be the only Tamil candidate contesting under the banner of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in the Badulla District.