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Uva:
Choice between promises and peace
As the Uva province's two districts, Badulla and Moneragala, gear themselves for next week's elections, the estate sector will once again be the decisive factor. Although successive governments have failed to solve the pressing problems of the plantation sector people, voters there have not failed to help their leaders retain the kingmaker role. With housing, electricity, education, medical facilities and an increase in daily pay being their main demands, the Ceylon Workers' Congress led by Arumugam Thondaman and the UP-country People's Front of P. Chandrasekar are in a battle to outdo each other with a plethora of promises. It is not only the estate-sector voter who is being showered with promises, but the farming community is also being wooed by politicians of all hues. While the UNF says it will take steps to ensure that farmers get better prices for their produce, the UPFA promises them with reduction in fertilizer prices. But it appears that the people in the area are not taking these promises seriously. Instead, they appear to regard the peace process as the main issue concerning them."We can live in security and contentment only if peace prevails," K. Rajendran, an estate worker from Lunugala, Adawatte, said. But he was quick to add that peace alone would not help find solutions to the problems of the estate population though he was grateful that Estate Infrastructure Minister Thondaman had taken steps to convert line homes into decent houses. People in the Adawatte area said they hoped the next government would improve schools and medical facilities. At the Adawatte School, there are only five teachers for 335 students. However, everyone in the area did not share Mr. Rajendran's view. S. Maheshwaran, an estate youth, said that no political party from the estate sector had done much for the people. "Most of these politicians only look after their welfare while the people are suffering as they have always been," he said. Both the UNF and the UPFA are promising more benefits for the estate workers. They are promising to appoint Tamil-speaking Assistant Divisional Secretaries in estate areas to expedite development work and offer a better service. The campaigning in the two districts has been largely violence-free with the Police strictly enforcing election laws. As a result of tough police action, there are not many posters, cut-outs or banners to be seen in the province. Among the strong candidates representing the province are UNF's W.J.M. Lokubandara and UPFA’s Nimal Siripala De Silva - candidates who secured the most of number of preferential votes in the Badulla district in the last election. Other heavyweights include Dilan Perera and Lakshman Seneviratne. Some of the prominent members who did not make it to Parliament in the 2001 general election such as Samaraweera Weerawanni and R.M. Ratnayake too have joined the fray this time, intensifying the contest for preferential votes. Though a large number of parties, including the United Lalith Front, the New Left Front and Jathika Hela Urumaya are in the hustings, the main battle is still between the traditional rivals, the UNF and the UPFA. |
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