News
In the East, candidates say people want political solution to ethnic issues
View(s):- Group of rehabilitated former LTTE cadres contesting as independent group in Trinco
By S. Rubatheesan
Like other parts of the country, there has been little interest among the people in the East for the upcoming parliamentary polls, with candidates limiting their reach-out activities to house-to-house campaigns and holding pocket meetings in villages.
In Batticaloa, leading political parties such as the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK), Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National Peoples’ Power (NPP) carried out low-key canvassing activities at grassroot level.
Pocket meeting in Batticaloa
T. Saravanabavan, former Mayor of Batticaloa Municipal Council who is contesting under the ITAK ticket, is hopeful that his party will return at least three seats considering the support he witnessed during his campaign in recent weeks.
“Unlike in the past when people voted for those who assured economic development but failed to meet those expectations, people have decided to back our party after realising that without a political solution to the ethnic conflict, any such development activities are not sustainable in the long run,” the former mayor told the Sunday Times.
He also stressed that those who represented the district in the previous parliament under the economic development banner failed to intervene over the Mayilaththamanai grassland issue and other land-related disputes in the district as well.
By Tuesday (5), the Batticaloa District Election Department received 118 election-related complaints out of which 84 of them were resolved through action taken by officials, according to a senior official from the department. The rest of the complaints were forwarded to relevant officials for further inquiries.
In the Digamadulla district where the highest number (64) of political parties and independent groups are contesting, established regional political parties have a strong influence on the electorate.
Among the independent groups that are challenging the dominant role played by regional political parties in the Trincomalee district, is an independent group of one-time LTTE cadres who have gone through rehabilitation and are carrying out a low-key campaign targeting Tamil-speaking areas.
(Additional reporting by Theva Athiran)
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