ELECTION NEWS

• State vehicles for party work
• State media abused, say UNP and JVP
• Results in perspective
• JVP sets out conditions for support
• UNP says popularity of PA is on the wane
• CMEV sees more flaws
• Hungry stomachs, can't count
• Polls in brief
• UNP conducts post-mortem

State vehicles for party work

Though it was said that state resources would not be used for party propaganda, the Southern Provincial Council is alleged to have released two vehicles with the drivers for election work.

The vehicles had been released for two weeks to carry out party work allegedly on a request made by a ministry.

The vehicles have been identified as 59-498 and 59 - 459.

There was also a surge of work by government with applications for housing loans being passed, tiles and other incentives provided and compensation for Kuwait returnees being given.

State media abused, say UNP and JVP

The main opposition parties the UNP and the JVP have launched a scathing attack on the state run media, accusing the Government of descending to the worst levels and turning state run papers into virtual government gazettes during the Southern election campaign.

Even though the campaign for the elections was to end at midnight last Monday, election laws were subverted when a powerful minister from the South was interviewed on state television the next day. He was given a full blown opportunity to laboriously explain the facilities provided to the long forgotten South such as housing, water, telephone, and electricity.

UNP General Secretary Gamini Atukorale and JVP Publicity Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times that never in the recent past at any election was the state print and electronic media misused by the government to this extent.

They both alleged that media minister Mangala Samaraweera himself used Rupavahini a day after the campaign deadline to extol the virtues of the PA and its performance so far.

This was, in addition to the various print orders given by him to the Commercial Printing Department of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House) in support of the PA, which amounted to millions of rupees.

"The propaganda carried out by the SLBC, Rupavahini and the Lake House papers even surpassed that of the days of Premadasa's regime," Mr. Weerawansa said hammering out at the obvious partiality and lack of objectivity shown in the news coverages and other programmes.

He said their views, despite a requirement to give fair publicity to all political parties contesting the polls were accommodated at the minimal level. "But those expressing views critical of the JVP were given immense significance" he said.

Meanwhile UNP General Secretary Gamini Atukorale said apart from the blatantly defamatory and abusive programmes showed on television, the news bulletins in their entirety were a dedication to the PA's political cause.

"There was little except the PA ministers ushering in prosperity at village level, the laying of foundation stones and cutting ribbons and the bouts of insults," he charged, saying the state run papers were no better than the government gazette.

Results in perspective

By M. Ismeth and Dilrukshi Handunnetti

After intense campaigning by all three main contenders, the ruling People's Alliance emerged in first place in Thursday's Southern provincial council elections — but the overall result was somewhat like a drawn match in politics.

Though the PA could be satisfied with the victory — winning 27 of the 55 seats in the council — it does not have an overall majority. The UNP has 21 seats and the JVP seven, making a total of 28 as against 27 for the PA. Most political observers say it it unlikely the UNP and the JVP could band together on any issue, but the PA will be dependent on either of the parties to pass various bills.

Comparing the results of the provincial council elections of1993 with last Thursday's poll, there have been ups and downs for the two leading parties in different areas.

1993 -Matara District

Regis.Voters UNP PA DUNLF

4,93,503 1,45,093 1, 29,693 44,873

(44.99%) (40.22%) (13.91%)

1993-Hambantota

District

3, 23,653 1,02,841 63,919 32,882

(49.85%) (30.98%) (15.94%)

1993- Galle District

6,22,127 1,90,478 1,89,114 39,036

(44,32%) (44.00%) (9.08%)

In 1993, the UNP secured 25 seats while the PA won 22 but it formed the council with the assistance of the DUNLF which secured six seats.

In last Thursday's election, the PA secured 11 seats in Galle, eight in Matara and eight in Hambantota districts while the UNP got nine in Galle, seven in Matara and five in Hambantota. The JVP won two seats in Galle and two in Matara and three seats in Hambantota, a JVP domain.

In comparison to 1993, the PA has improved its vote base significantly. Thursday's voting pattern shows the following trends in the pro-PA vote:

1999- Matara District

Regis voters UNP PA JVP

5,10,310 1,30,843 1,57,762 40,276

(38.45%) (46.36%) (11.84%)

1999-Hambantota District

3,42,498 82,786 89,483 47,296

(36.16%) (39.09%) (20.66%)

1999- Galle District

6,52,734 1,88,921 214,714 38,817

( 41.09%) ( 46.70%) (8.44%)

According to most political analysts, the JVP which made a strong impact in April western council elections has further established itself as a third force by winning seven seats in the south. But it is also clear that the JVP has a long way to go to come forward as an alternative government.

As for the main Opposition UNP, most analysts feel it is another setback and the grim reality is that the party has lost control of all seven provinces outside the north-east.

Even the strategy, the campaign, and the organizational capabilities of the party are being questioned once again after Thursday's results.

Meanwhile the PA, is widely believed to be satisfied though not euphoric over the results in the south and it is likely now the Kumaratunga administration would seriously consider a snap presidential or parliamentary election.

However, compared to the 1994 general election results, there is a decline from 56.39 % to 46.7% in the Galle district vote base for the PA. In Matara, it has declined from 61.5 % to a lame 46.36%.

The decline in Hambantota was from 53.51% to a dismal 39.09%. The UNP which secured 41. 23% in Galle in 1994, has shown a marginal decrease by going down to 41.09% where as in Hambantota, the UNP was reduced from 38.67 to 36.16%. In Matara, the UNP which secured 35.8 % in 1994 has received only 38.45 this time.

JVP sets out conditions for support

The JVP will put forward several proposals to be incorporated in the policy statement of the Southern Provincial Council administration if the PA wants its support for the smooth running of the council.

The JVP which has won seven seats in the provincial council has become the deciding factor in maintaining power in the Southern Provincial Council.

It is learnt that among the proposals the JVP will incorporate into the policy statement of the new provincial government are conditions such as the finding of a speedy solution to the unemployment problem in the south, finding a solution to the flood and water shortage problem in the province, and drawing up a practical development plan and implementing it.

If the People's Alliance agrees to these conditions the JVP will not obstruct the forming of the Southern Provincial Council, JVP sources said.

UNP says popularity of PA is on the wane

In comparison to the 1994 presidential elections, the results of Thursday's southern polls and other recent elections show a sharp decline in popular support for the ruling party, the UNP said.

In a statement the UNP said the much vaunted boast of the PA had failed to establish a stable PA dominated provincial council.

Despite providing various incentives like jobs or housing loans and also resorting to other malpractices the PA had failed to get an absolute majority, the UNP said.

The UNP alleged vote rigging in more than 100 booths especially in the Beliatte and Mulkirigala electorates.

CMEV sees more flaws

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), which has been accused by the PA of blowing up incidents, claiming that voting in 12 percent of the polling booths was flawed.

The CMEV in a statement said it was able to monitor some 70 percent of the polling centres overall and found there were flaws in 17 percent of the stations.

The CMEV said most of the flaws were reported from polling centres in the Matara district.

A breakdown showed the Galle District as having 10.4 percent of the flawed centres, whereas the Matara District showed 15.85 percent and Hambantota area a total of 8.4 percent.

The monitoring group said its report included police complaints, reports from political parties and the general public as well as information from field monitors.

Hungry stomachs, can't count

On the sidelines of the southern polls some shops in the South are alleged to have sold dinner parcels meant for counting officers. As a result the dinner was delayed and so was the count which resumed only after 2.00 a.m.

Due to some mishandling by officials announcing of results of postal voting in the Galle District took place only at about 2 a.m- more than two hours behind schedule.

Returning Officer, P. Hewawasam had organised the issuing of unofficial results to the media, yet these results were not announced at the scheduled time and instead sent directly to Colombo.

The newsmen were informed these steps were being taken upon the instructions of the Elections Commissioner. Consequently media personnel sent a protest fax to the Elections Commissioner and walked out.

Polls in brief

No reins for sunshine stories

The PA obviously had the winning formula- and whether this included more than democratic means, we will have to wait for the Elections Commissioner's Report on the South to discover.

But Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera was a worried man when he gave an interview on national TV- castigating the very people he is in charge of-the media, and this in total violation of election laws just two days prior to the poll date. And the former fashion designer cut an unfashionable figure when he accused 'certain sections of the media' of not stating the truth-meaning of course the 'sunshine' stories of sudden development in the South.

Whether the people are willing to buy such lame stories is a different matter, but perhaps it is pertinent to ask PA leaders when they were languishing in the Opposition for 17 long years whether it was not the free media which gave them a voice and accommodated alternative views. So much for political amnesia!

Grave in his backyard

Shooting their mouths off is nothing new to the political trade, yet another trait unhampered by party affiliations. A UNP break-away group leader from Matara was taking the UNP to task during his campaign, and this included calling a few senior UNPers 'thugs and crooks'. But he also targeted the JVP which certainly gave him a hard time during the '89 insurgency.

And a few youths attending the pocket meeting were angry over these outbursts , and one bright guy grabbed a mike and demanded to know why he ran a permanent graveyard in his backyard during the height of the JVP. Another case of amnesia!

Hideout changed

And the same young turk was a news maker again, and this time because their lodging arrangements were revealed through the media far too early. Accordingly, some who masterminded an operation to stuff ballot boxes, cursing some sections of the print media, had to look out for alternative accommodation.

Now post busting!

Another case for the over-burdened Elections Commissioner who seems to have no rest in the business of conducting polls. Southerners have alleged another operation of collecting postal votes belonging to overseas-employed Southerners.

If the story is true, in many parts of Matara and Hambantota, most such postal votes have not been received thanks to organized collections with the kind co-operation of the postmen of the area!

Insult to intelligence

And an insulting experience it was for the young graduates of the South when 8,000 of them waited in Galle in the sweltering heat to accept their letters of appointment. "After years of cursed waiting to obtain a degree, hours of waiting for the lady to hand over a piece of paper, and that too at a political rally" quipped a fuming graduate.

Tongue-tied

And perhaps the joke of the century or a record of power abuse came during a television interview last week, attended by PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne, W.J.M. Lokubandara (UNP) and JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva.

And the topic of the moment was the publication of election material by the state- run Lake House. So the pertinent moderator continued to question the minister and the minister in righteous anger responded: "We only publish propaganda material and what is necessary for us. And we do pay up the bills" , a view contrary to popular belief.

And when queried whether the 'necessary ' material included material defamatory of the JVP distributed freely at the Uyanwatta Stadium last week, the senior minister opted not to reply.

Rain a saviour

And here's an election joke from an election observer. The man concerned had a strange theory about the well-behaved Southern electorate when they elected 53 members to represent them.

It wasn't the candidates or their supporters who kept the peace in the South, he asserted, but the rain which decided to pelt down, keeping many at home!

Trouble in fishing waters

While the political intensity grew, there were covert moves within the PA to upstage senior ministers. When a southern politician with ex- JVP connections took some fisher-businessmen to meet the President, even she was surprised to see the Pajero- owning, Cartier watch-clad tycoons from the South. This, in the absence of the fisheries minister, too.

And the young turk assisting the southern politico to become a Cabinet ranker has reportedly undertaken jobs in addition to distributing building materials and Samurdhi cards- to promote one southerner over another. Fishing in troubled waters, quipped an SLFPer, fearing trends within it.

UNP conducts post-mortem

By Shelani de Silva

With the UNP suffering another defeat in the south, party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for reports from southern-based MPs, apparently to conduct a post-mortem.

UNP spokesman Karunasena Kodituwakku said the UNP had retained its vote base in the south but an initial analysis was made on Friday and the party leader was seeking more detailed reports for a fuller analysis.

Former Minister John Amaratunge who attended Friday's meeting told The Sunday Times that despite the UNP retaining its vote base, it was evident that the people of the south felt that both major parties had failed to fulfil their aspirations.

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