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JVP, UNP go in hard on youth unemployment for Uva polls
The JVP, putting up at least two Tamil candidates, is campaigning strongly for the forthcoming Uva Provincial Council elections – the last election ahead of a possible presidential poll – saying it is the country’s most poverty-stricken province.
“The upcountry workers have been working more than 180 years but they are not entitled to own even one perch of land. The Mahinda Chinthanaya manifesto promised them seven perches of land but so far this has not been given,” said former JVP MP Ramalingham Chandrasekaran, who is standing as a candidate.
JVP candidate K. Selvaraj said many children in the province were anaemic from malnutrition.
“The youths of the Uva province are unemployed and they go to Colombo to find jobs so they can support their families. Why has the government failed to create more job opportunities in the province?” he asked.
Treasury reports showed Uva province had the largest number of poor people, said former MP and JVP group leader in Badulla, Samantha Vidyaratne.
“In 2010, the percentage of poor people in the province was 13.7 – now it has risen to 20.8,” he said.
Velayutham Rudratheepan, a Lunugala Pradeshiya Sabha member, who will contest in the Badulla district under the UNP ticket, emphasised the need for minority representation in the province and said that was why he had come forward to contest the elections.
He said the UNP had begun house-to-house campaigning, having studied the problems in the province.
Youth unemployment was a major concern. According to a survey carried out by an NGO, Mr Rudratheepan said, 20,000 Badulla youths had gone to Colombo for work.
Former UNP parliamentarian K. Velayutham said 21 UNP candidates in the Badulla district and 17 candidates in the Monaragala district would contest the election. The final list had yet to be approved.
UPFA Monaragala parliamentarian Arachige Vijitha Berugoda said applications from first-time candidates were still being evaluated by the party.
Mr Berugoda said 80 per cent of the Monaragala district had been provided with electricity, health facilities and other community development services.
“We have developed the district in every possible way and believe that people will back our candidates at the election,” he said.
As the July 30-August 6 nomination period for the poll draws closer, last-minute bargaining over crossovers, alliances and new demands is underway.
National Freedom Front (NFF) spokesman Mohammed Muzammil said the party would decide tomorrow whether it would join the UPFA or contest separately.
“We have already informed the Government that if the former NFF councillor, Uthaya Shantha Gunasekara, who quit to join the SLFP contests, we will contest independently.
“The government has promised us that these crossover councillors will not be given SLFP nominations,” he said.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Director Rohana Hettiarachi alleged that vote-buying was taking place.
“The candidates are distributing goods and furniture individually in some areas as bribes. We have confirmed in some cases chairs, water tanks and other household goods are being widely distributed among the public,” he said.
He also claimed some school principals in Okampitiya, Moneragala were involved in lobbying activities for candidates.
“They have organised parents’ meetings and urged parents to vote for a particular candidate,” he said.
Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Director Keerthi Tennakoon drew attention to the fact that so far no arrests had been made over the attack on UNP Moneragala District Organiser, Tissa Kuttiararchchi’s office in Handapanagala, Wellawaya.
| Objections to shifting of PC seats in Uva
SC turns down two FR petitions The Supreme Court refused leave to proceed in two fundamental rights petitions filed by two UNP members of the Badulla District against the arbitrary shifting three Provincial Council seats from the Badulla District to the Moneragala District. The petitioners said that the shifting of seats should have been done under Section (3) in the Moneragala District where there would be one member for 32,000 people and in Badulla District 42,000 residents will have one member. They state that the shifting of the seats in an arbitrary manner violates people’s rights to franchise. Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle appearing for the Attorney General and the Elections Commissioner stated that according to Section (2) of the Provincial Councils Act the President shall by order published in the gazette assign the numbers of seats for any province. The President might take into consideration the area and then the population. Priority is given to the concept of area according to Section 3(3). The Elections Commissioner may determine the issue of the number of seats taking area into account to allocate one member for every 40,000 residents in an acreage of 1,000 square kilometres. Gazzetting by the Commissioner could be done under Section 13(1) and not necessarily under Section 13(3) and therefore no violation of the right to franchise had occurred. Ronald Perera PC., with Chandimal Mendis and Nalin Amarajeewa appeared for Harin Fernando and H.W.T. Mihilal Munasinghe. |