News
Voter interest high despite dull election aura
Motorcycles have now replaced the familiar bicycle. Pix by Indika Handuwala
NORTHERN PROVINCE
Jaffna district
There are no visible sights and sounds of a presidential election. Posters, cutouts and banners are nowhere. The few exceptions are the decorated venues of political meetings. Other than that, life is as normal as it could be, but with a damper. That is the incessant rain that has flooded paddy fields and created muddy roads.
Strikingly in contrast, however, the voter interest is still high and there were increasing signs that a higher poll is not in doubt. Talking to a broader section of politicians and civilians in these three provinces, this was one of the most striking features we observed.
In the northern Jaffna peninsula, where wild speculation spoke of an election boycott, it was a different story. The call for a boycott had been made by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, leader of the one time powerful All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC).
Though varied in their views, many were united in thinking that they would cast their votes. “I have no problem voting for any candidate who will solve the problems of the Tamils,” says J. Pathmanathan (64), a businessman, who hires out motor vehicles. T. Jeevithan (34), a father of two who is an insurance executive, however, is more cautious. “Business is not very good for us. The leasing market has collapsed. Living conditions are a big issue. Yet, there is a definite interest in elections. We enjoyed more freedom in the past years. We can say what we feel,” he declared.
Voter Nithyanandan
However, A. Nithyanandan (44), who runs a tea shop, says, “I am not a UNP supporter. But I will vote for Sajith Premadasa this time. This is because Tamil parties like the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) are due to back him. Tamil people believe Premadasa has an edge,” he declared. This view is shared by 60-year-old dairy farmer S. Nagathevan. A. Mathiyawaran, a bus driver, is livid that Mr Ponnambalam has called for a polls boycott. “We will still go and exercise our franchise,” he exhorted.
At the Thirunelvely market in Jaffna, 68-year-old fruit vendor Sivapakiyam told us that her granddaughter continued to be unemployed despite having good qualifications. “It would be good if whoever wins can give more job opportunities to Northern youth,” she said.
While many in Jaffna were leaning towards Mr. Premadasa, there were those who expressed views in support of SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well.
Ratnasabapathi Surerajan (42), Secretary of the Nelliyadi Traders’ Association, predicts Gotabaya Rajapaksa will get at least 10 percent more of the overall vote than his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa got in the last election in 2015. Mr Rajapaksa obtained 21 percent in the Jaffna district at that election.
He claimed young people felt safer in the post-war era and as such, they were more likely to vote for those who were responsible for finishing the war.
Mr Surerajan also said the previous Government was responsible for more development and for giving more jobs to the North. “As a businessman, I can also say that trade links between the North and the South have redeveloped in the post-war era. Large private companies based in Colombo have expanded their operations in the North, thereby providing a lot of employment opportunities for young people. Southern tourists are also visiting the North in large numbers and this has uplifted the region’s economy.”
Selvaratnam Jeyanathan (55) runs an ice storage plant on Delft Island. He told the Sunday Times that life has changed a lot for the better since the end of the war and said people in Delft will vote for Gotabaya in large numbers.
Voter Sivapakiyam
“The majority of people here engage in fishing for their livelihood. There were a lot of restrictions on fishing during the war. It was also difficult to keep fish in storage as the island did not have an ice storage plant. I managed to open my plant after the war,” he explained.
The restrictions mostly ended after the war and fishermen can now go fishing in the deep sea, he noted. “Now we are regularly sending fish stocks to the Jaffna mainland and to the south.”
On Monday (October 28), SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressed a rally in Jaffna town under high security. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) are two of the main parties backing Mr Rajapaksa. Former Chief Minister Vartharaja Perumal, too, was on stage to address the rally.
Addressing the rally, Mr Rajapaksa appealed to voters to look to the future and place their trust in him. “My election manifesto clearly details how I intend to resolve the issues faced by you. I can assure you that a Government under me will resolve them,” he told the crowd.
He noted that much of the development undertaken in the North was done during the previous Government. He promised to restore development work in the north, rehabilitate and release Tamil prisoners held in custody and to ensure security.
“All the promises I have given are practically possible. I appeal to you to trust in me so that we can build a prosperous country where we can all live together as Sri Lankans,” he stressed.
NDF candidate Premadasa is due to address a rally in Jaffna on November 8, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is in the North over the weekend to campaign on behalf of Mr. Premadasa.
The UNP is targeting a significant increase in voter turnout in the North. “Our aim is to have a 90 percent voter turnout, though there may not be enough time to achieve that target. Nevertheless, we are trying to get a large number of voters to cast their ballots,” said State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran who is leading the campaign for the NDF candidate in the North.
“One main challenge the party is facing is to educate voters to vote for the ‘Swan’ symbol as many associate a UNP candidate with the ‘Elephant’ symbol,” she explained.
The focus was also on the decision of the Tamil parties, including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Five main Tamil parties deliberated twice this week in Jaffna as to whom they should support, but were unable to reach a decision.
“If we are unable to take a stand we will allow the voters to vote on their own will,” C.V. Wigneswaran, the Northern Province’s former Chief Minister, who took part in the discussions told the Sunday Times.
A cross section of the people, who spoke to the Sunday Times, said that, irrespective of the decision made by the Tamil parties, they were keen on voting at the election.
Unemployment and reduced economic growth remain concerns of the voters, but issues of security is also set to be one of the key factors on which the voters will decide.
Sivasubramanium Dushanthan (48), a jewellery shop owner, said that residents in the north enjoy the freedom they have had during the recent years and this in turn could be one of the main factors in deciding on their candidate.
“The environment here is much freer than it was five years ago. Back then, when the media came to interview us, we would either run away or refuse to speak. We are no longer afraid to express our views now.
“As for current issues, there are not enough good schools to send our children to. There are armed groups (AWA groups) operating here and the police don’t seem to have any control over them. The police themselves are part of the problem. Recently, the Navy arrested two people transporting Kerala Ganja, one of whom was a policeman. So, the law and order situation is bad,” he said.
Unemployment was another concern, he added. “Graduates are also finding it hard to obtain jobs. There are graduates with two or even three degrees working as sales representatives and even labourers. I know of someone who has three degrees who is working as a cleaner.”
Jaffna’s District Secretary N. Vethanayahan, who is overseeing arrangements for the election, said the run-up to the poll is one of the most peaceful periods with no major external political activities, but expects that there will be high turnout at the poll.
He said that there were no incidents of violence, but complaints of election laws violations such as granting appointments or conducting interviews without approval during the election period. (see below).
| The Sunday Times Analysis: In the event the contest in the southern constituencies is a close one, the northern vote is crucial to the final outcome of the presidential election. This had also been the case in the 2005 presidential election which Mahinda Rajapaksa won due to the LTTE boycott and in 2015 (in which Mr Rajapaksa lost). Sajith Premadasa has the direct advantage in the North where Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is fairly popular. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is likely to eventually throw its weight behind Mr Premadasa, but the TNA no longer has a monopoly over the Northern votes. Splinter groups have challenged the TNA’s exclusivity. Despite the infrastructure to develop the North under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government a sense of bitterness over the ‘war’ remains. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the backing of the Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) which has support in the Kayts islets but not elsewhere. In the North Sinhala public servants and military personnel may vote for Mr Rajapaksa, so a majority of postal votes could go to Mr Rajapaksa. For Mr Premadasa, the Northern vote is of utmost importance to gain an overall advantage over his main rival, so the voter turnout will be significant. The more votes cast the better for Mr Premadasa. The vote here is not FOR Mr Premadasa, but AGAINST Mr Rajapaksa.
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Tamil parties’ 13 proposals “will stand forever”- Wigneswaran
The 13 proposals put forward by a collective of five Tamil political parties, to candidates of the upcoming presidential election, “will stand forever”, as they lay down the immediate and long term requests of the Tamils to resolve the ethnic issue, former Northern Province (NP) Chief Minister (CM) C.V. Wigneswaran told the Sunday Times.
In an interview at his home in Jaffna, Mr Wigneswaran also insisted that he was not in favour of All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s call for Tamils to boycott the presidential election. He added that, if the parties failed to reach a consensus on who they should back, they would give everyone a free hand and vote for whoever they wanted to.
The five Tamil parties which presented the proposals are the ITAK, TELO, PLOTE EPRLF and the Tamil Makkal Kootani (TMK) led by Mr Wigneswaran himself.
The former CM insisted that what they had put forward were not “conditions” but “requests.”
He said he was not surprised that the 2 main candidates had already rejected them, because, if one party was to speak about it, the other would use it to its advantage to get the better of the Sinhalese vote. “This has been the pattern that has been going on for the last so many years. But for how long is this pattern of trying to make us the pariahs of Sri Lanka going to continue?”
Mr Wigneswaran said his impression was that the parties that made up the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had already decided to back NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa, though they have so far not declared it. The former CM however, said his party and several others were of the view that one could not distinguish between any of the candidates.
“As far as the TMK is concerned, we have an open mind. At the end of the day, whoever becomes president, we will have to go and tell them the same thing. I have no difficulty working with anyone, as we have not been partisan in this matter,” he noted.
N.Vethanayahan
Most peaceful polls run-up: Jaffna District Secretary
Jaffna’s District Secretary N.Vethanayahan has described the run-up to the presidential election as one of the most peaceful periods compared to previous elections.
“It is a peaceful election with no violence, though some violations of election laws are being reported,” he told the Sunday Times.
“The usual complaint during any election is the issue of posters, but this time that is not an issue.
He said departments are well aware of the election regulations. When it came to job interviews most of them get prior approval. “But there are instances where we intervened to stop some job interviews and transfers. We have stopped some transfers in the Education Ministry. The University too asked if they could call for some applications, but we told to stop that . Many of them make inquiries from us, thereby preventing any violations,” he said
“Our intention is to see that more people need to vote. We feel their interest wll pick up in the last two weeks,” he said.
“Unemployment is an issue. There were so many factories functioning, but they have not been reactivated again.
Land is another issue, Mr Vethanayhan said. “More than 4,000 acres of land have been released, another 2500 are due to be released. The process is on,” he added.
Gota in Jaffna amidst tight security
Heavy rains failed to dampen the enthusiasm among the crowd at the first campaign rally held by SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa last Monday (October 28) in Jaffna. The rally was organised jointly by several political parties supporting the SLPP. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Angajan Ramanathan and former Chief Minister Vartharaja Perumal were on stage to support Mr Rajapaksa.
A majority of the crowd, however, were made up of EPDP supporters, mostly from the islands, including Kayts, where its leader Douglas Devananda remains hugely popular. Waving the EPDP flags, they cheered Mr Rajapaksa. Mr Devananda himself received a rapturous welcome while cheers also erupted whenever the SLPP candidate referred to the EPDP leader by name.
Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa also addressed the rally, pledging to continue the economic development that had been started by his Government under a Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency as well. It was soon after the SLPP candidate left the venue that the former President arrived at the venue.
Due to tight security, only persons whose names were on a pre-prepared list were admitted into the venue after security checks. A southern voter who was in Jaffna and wanted to attend the rally was turned away by security officials who insisted he did not have clearance to enter. The security ring around the meeting venue extended some three kilometres and our Jaffna correspondent remarked that the security cordon seemed even bigger than what is usually given to the President and Prime Minister.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa had planned to visit the Nallur Kovil before attending the meeting. The event, however, had to be cancelled as he was late leaving an earlier campaign rally in Vavuniya.
Outside the venue, there were other private meetings arranged in hotels by professionals and the business community in support of Mr Rajapaksa to discuss ways of attracting more votes from the North.
Relatives of missing persons also held a protest in Jaffna to coincide with Mr Rajapaksa’s campaign meeting, though it was far outside the venue of the rally.
Voter interest high despite dull election aura
But, the interest in the elections remains high in the district where some 90,000 votes are on offer.
The region, however, is one of the most underdeveloped areas of the country. With farming and fishing being the two main livelihoods in the district, the unemployment rate remains high. Adverse weather conditions often add to their woes. The only factory in the area, which produced garments, has been shut down.
“Mannar is seriously under-developed, only now they are building a bus stand. When it comes to job opportunities, we had one factory and that too is closed. One message to the candidates are that whoever is elected will have to concentrate on these issues,” says Mannar’s Bishop Rev Emmanuel Fernando. (See Box Story).
“There is a disparity in allocating houses for the Tamils as they have to depend on government housing schemes which have been delayed due to lack of funds,” the Bishop also notes. The housing issue is a common problem in the predominantly Tamil areas.
“I was a refugee living in India and now returned to the country and for the past one year, I have been trying to find a house or a land and have not been successful,” said Mohideen Nagoorghani, 33 who makes a living by assisting fishermen.
“I have registered my vote here, but am in two minds as to whom to vote for as my problems have not been resolved. I am re-thinking whether I should go back to India”, Mr. Nagoorghani, a father of two children, remarked.
| The Sunday Times analysis The Wanni electoral district comprising largely Muslims and Catholics/Christian Tamils was one that traditionally favoured the UNP in a presidential election. That was changed, especially after the Easter Sunday bombings this year. Until then the Tamil voters had some resentment over the long northern insurgency. Questions of 'National Security' for them was the purported aggression by the Armed Forces rather than the violence unleashed by the LTTE. | |
Security and ethnic issues will figure largely with voters- Bishop of Mannar
The Bishop of Mannar, Rev Emmanuel Fernando said security and a solution to the ethnic issue will be two of the decisive factors when the district’s voters go to the polls.
“Mannar is seriously underdeveloped and only now a bus stand is being built. When it comes to job opportunities, there are very limited jobs and the only factory is also closed,” Bishop Fernando told the Sunday Times.
“Any candidate who comes, these are the areas he needs to think of,” he pointed out.
He said that any elected president should have a concern for the north. “During the Rajapaska government the roads were done and Sajith Preamadasa has done housing schemes.”
“During the 30-year war, certain unfortunate things happened and they are not happy with the Rajapaksa government. That also will have an impact.”
“Basically, the ethnic problem needs to be resolved. The government finds it difficult, as there is a majority Sinhala population, but the minority votes too, are important. But when the government tries to do too many things for the minority, they can be found fault with by the majority.
“The Easter Sunday bombings will have an impact too. Apart from the reaction that it happened to Catholics, the issue of insecurity is an issue. Naturally, the fear element remains.
“As for Housing, Rishard is able to get help and do a lot of housing schemes. In terms of housing, Muslims are better off, while the Catholics are spread all over and do not have houses.
“There are some schemes where Premadasa has put up some houses, but some of them have got struck due to lack of funds in the Treasury.
“The Gamperaliya programme helped to develop the area, they should have more development progrmmes.”
Bishop Fernando said the voters in the district are encouraged to cast their vote.
“It is a civic right and they should make use of it,” he added.
| Big vote catcher in Mannar: Saudi-funded housing schemesDriving through the main roads of Mannar to Thalaimannar pier you pass through dozens of housing schemes which have been completed, but most of them remain unoccupied. “That’s not an issue” says Nagoor Ghani (60), a businessman in the area pointing out that most of them currently live in Puttalam and will return in time to vote. In 1990, a large number of Muslims were displaced due to the fighting in the region. This was after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) captured their villages. They were forced to flee to the adjoining Puttalam district where they lived for nearly two decades. But, since the end of the war, most of them, largely helped by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen who has put up housing schemes with foreign funding have returned and registered as voters in Mannar. More housing schemes are coming up with Saudi Arabian funding in the area with promises that more houses will be built. The Sunday Times reporters saw a large number of such empty houses which had plaques in Arabic marking them as having been built by various Islamic charities and benefactors. One such housing scheme even had a prominent signboard proclaiming it as “Rishad City.” The projects will attract votes in favour of NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa backed by Minister Bathiudeen but has created a disparity regarding distribution of houses for the Tamil community in the area. The housing facilities offered for those supportive of Mr Bathiudeen appeared to favour the NDF candidate while the TNA also has a share of the Tamil votes in the area and their decision will have an influence on the voters. | |
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NORTH CENTRAL PROVINCE
Polonnaruwa District:
The main parties, however, are trying hard to attract votes in the district where 326,443 are registered to poll.
The SLFP, which has teamed up with the SLPP is campaigning in the area and held a campaign meeting in Polonnaruwa this week while the NDF backed by the UNP are also working hard on the ground.
With farmers, who make up the majority in the district concentrating on work in the paddy fields for the next season there is little or no outward signs that an election is on.
Issues faced by farmers including the failure to increase the guaranteed price for paddy, the cost of living and the high unemployment rate coupled with the human-elephant conflict remain the top priority issues of the people in the district.
“The farmers expected that the guaranteed price for paddy will be increased, but they are a disappointed lot as they continue to sell their paddy at lower prices to private mills,” a farmer said.
Ananada (52), a mechanic, said he was concern about the security situation.
“It is because of the security which was restored in the area that we are able to travel around to far away villages and do our work,” he said..
He said the villagers still value the fact that security was restored after the defeat of the LTTE and believe that a vote for SLPP candidate Rajapaksa will help to maintain the security.
| The Sunday Times analysis Polonnaruwa district voters turned out in force at the 2015 Presidential Poll, when one of its own sons ran for the Presidency. Maithripala Sirisena won his home district by a landslide, winning 57.80 percent of the overall vote as opposed to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 41.27 percent. This time however, the situation is markedly different. Mr Sirisena is not running, though the SLFP, has teamed up with the SLPP to support Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In Polonnaruwa at grassroots level SLFP activists have so far kept away from the campaign. Polonnaruwa is a predominantly paddy cultivating district and farmers are disappointed over the failure of the government to increase the guaranteed price for paddy despite earlier assurances. National security is also a key concern owing to experiences during the war. Though some SLFP activists have chosen to stay away, indications are that the district is leaning more towards Mr Rajapaksa. | |
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Polonnaruwa half awake Hurried preparations were underway this week to declare open the Polonnaruwa district’s new administrative complex under the ‘Pibidena Polonnaruwa’ (Awakening Polonnaruwa) project of President Maithripala Sirisena. A short distance away, the construction of an economic centre appears to have been abandoned due to lack of funds. The President initiated the ‘Pibidena Polonnaruwa’ project in his home district in 2015 soon after he came to power. There have been development projects undertaken in relation to education, health and infrastructure such as roads and tanks. The Polonnaruwa General Hospital has had new wards and new administrative buildings. A separate hospital being built for kidney patients is a major achievement for the district given that a majority of kidney disease patients hail from the Rajarata area. Work on a trilingual national school with a grant from the Indian Government is also progressing. The development work has also taken a toll on some residents. “Though the President launched some projects, the Government has not even been able to pay compensation to victims such as myself”, laments Anura Gunawardena, a Polonnaruwa resident, pointing at the space where he once had a row of shops. They had been torn down to widen the main road. |
Anuradhapura District:
The Anuradhapura district is also a predominantly paddy cultivation region. Farmers here are also busy preparing their fields for the next season and show little involvement in political activity, but their interest in casting their vote is high.
Another chief concern among voters is as to which of the two main candidates would be able to ensure security of the region as many of them had experienced the consequences of the 26-year-old separatist war.
The district also has a large number of young and new voters, whose votes can be considered as floating votes.
The two main candidates have tried to outdo each other in terms of their promises to farmers. However, the farmers will have to wait till the next cultivation season to benefit from free fertilizer as fertilizer for this season has already been issued.
One voter said a running joke among the farmers here is that they will win whoever comes to power as they have all promised to provide free fertilizer to farmers.
| The Sunday Times Analysis A predominantly paddy cultivating district, Anuradhapura seems to be strongly leaning towards Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mahinda Rajapaksa comfortably carried the district with 53.59 percent of the overall vote at the 2015 Presidential Election while the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) also won the district in the Parliamentary Election held later that year. With Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) teaming up with the one-time rival Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to support Gotabaya Rajapaksa, there is belief that SLFP voters would also back Mr Rajapaksa. However, the hostile reception SLFP MPs received from SLPP supporters at Mr Rajapaksa’s inaugural campaign rally in Anuradhapura has resulted in many SLFP activists at ground level keeping away from the campaign. Voters here are voicing frustration at what they say has been a lack of interest in developing their district, where job opportunities continue to be limited. The high cost of living is a definite concern. Given that the district suffered heavily during the civil war, national security continues to be another main issue and a majority of voters are likely to cast their franchise for a candidate who they believe will ensure security. In the district several organisations representing disabled ex-servicemen have also lent their support for Mr Rajapaksa. These issues, taken together with past election results, indicate that the district is a safe bet for Mr Rajapaksa. | |
Upali Satharasinghe
Farmer explains why he will vote for Gotabaya
“I am busy preparing the field and I am awaiting the release of water through the irrigation schemes to start cultivation,” says Upali Satharasinghe (44), a farmer from Mihintale in Anuradhapura.
Mr Satharasinghe, who has been farming for 18 years, said he also works as a security guard in a nearby garment factory to earn some additional income. “The adverse economic situation we are faced with will be reflected at the elections,” he said, adding that he plans to vote for SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“We will vote for Gotabaya Rajapaksa because this Government has not done anything for this area. There’s no development to speak of. Even the roads we are using now were built under the previous Government. Back then, we had enough money and work. But look at this area now. We can’t even find a small shop here. All of them have been closed,” he said.
He insisted that the region needed more employment opportunities and more factories. “It’s especially hard for young girls here. There’s nothing for them to do after A/Levels. Most get married and go off. It’s such a tragedy.”
He said the thinking among the majority in the area is that things will change for the better if Gotabaya Rajapaksa becomes President.
NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE
Puttalam district
NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa has already held a campaign rally in Puttalam town, where he drew a large crowd, predominantly from the Muslim community. SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to campaign in district in the coming days.
The NDF’s campaign here has been handicapped by the absence of Puttalam District UNP MP Shantha Abeysekara, who has been remanded since October 10 for violating bail conditions over an incident that occurred in 2004. His case is due to come up again on November 5.
The human-elephant conflict is one of the most serious issues faced by the people here. Of the 16 divisional secretariat divisions in the area, 13 are plagued by the human-elephant conflict and it has cost lives of both humans and elephants. The two main candidates have pledged to take measures to resolve the human-elephant conflict.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill may also resonate with voters in Puttalam. The issue mostly affects the Puttalam, Kalpitiya and Wanathavilluwa areas. Protests are still continuing over the issue.
In Chilaw, interest regarding the election remains low. Only the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has been seen conducting house-to-house canvassing. A campaign rally featuring JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate of the National People’s Power, was held in Chilaw town on Thursday (31).
Paddy farming and fishing are the major sources of livelihood in the area and voters are keeping an eye on what the main candidates are offering the farming and fishing communities.
Chilaw has been severely impacted by the adverse weather, with rains causing severe flooding in many villages. This has mainly been due to the haphazard digging of canals to divert water to the Chilaw lagoon, residents said.
The UNP-led alliance won the Puttalam district handsomely in the 2015 parliamentary election while Maithripala Sirisena also won the district at the last presidential poll. This time, however, the fight seems far closer, with some Muslim UNP local politicians switching allegiances to the SLPP. The district is now a toss-up and it is difficult to predict which way it will swing.
| The Sunday Times analysis Puttalam District has five constituencies with the Puttalam seat normally swaying the final result even though Anamaduwa is a bigger seat geographically. Once considered a ‘safe seat’ for the UNP, the Puttalam seat can be risky for Mr Premadasa this time as the Muslim vote is compromised by a leading politician from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) who, despite his party’s backing of Mr Premadasa is playing a ‘double game’ with the Rajapaksas. He had once been a member of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government and individually popular so he can swing votes to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Seats like Anamaduwa and Chilaw tend to favour Gotabaya Rajapaksa this time.Photographs by Indika Handuwala Additional reporting: | |