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| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
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JHU predicts haul of five The Battle of the Diyawanna by Vidushaka Two Baticaloa district candidates from the UNF and EPRLF were killed by the LTTE last week and several other candidates from the same district have withdrawn their nominations after unending death threats from the LTTE. However, why the LTTE killed a UNF candidate and threatened other candidates in North and East to withdraw from the elections was a serious issue since the LTTE stalwarts have pledged that the TNA would bring the LTTE message into Parliament and they would also help Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to form the next government in April. People were surprised to hear that the LTTE was killing UNF candidates when they have already pledged to help form a UNF government. Is this another device of the Prime Minister and the LTTE leadership to bring more TNA members into the House creating a wider opportunity for the LTTE to demand a separate regime in the North and East with a long coast line. However, allowing a rebel team to assassinate his own party candidates by a leader will surely not be accepted anywhere in the world. The Tigers began their election campaign blocking TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree contesting the elections. With two brutal killings in their bag, the campaign is still continuing with an unsuccessful effort to kill another candidate in Digamadulla district on Thursday. In this situation one can ask `Is this the kind of democracy that Tamils can hope for'? Further the general public also question the actions of the way so called "sole representatives" of the Tamils are working for a free and fair election. Even, the international community has noted the LTTE belligerence to discourage Tamil candidates who do not toe the LTTE line. US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said "we note recent statements by the LTTE that were clearly intended to discourage Tamil candidates of whom they didn't approve". Here, the Rs. billion question is why the Prime Minister didn't realise the reality which even the international community has grasped. The LTTE's effort to grab all 26 seats in the North and East would give them more power to blackmail a frail government with their demands at a discussion table. However, Mr. Wickremesinghe and his followers have not learnt this bitter lesson because of their greedy for power. It may be the reason that he still laments for the LTTE not for the country. It may be the reason he was compelled to utter that the LTTE would go for a war again if the UPFA wins at the forthcoming elections. However, when he made that remark he had completely forgotten that he was playing the LTTE's role on the UNF stage. The UNP Deputy Leader's pressure on the Elections Commissioner to hold elections in uncleared areas is also another ploy to extend their indirect support to the LTTE securing more seats in the North. The Freedom Alliance front-liners at a press briefing in Colombo poohpoohed his claim and pointed out that it was another effort to support the LTTE in vote rigging in LTTE controlled areas (as conceded in the MoU signed by the LTTE leadership and Mr. Wickremesinghe two years ago). The UPFA Nuwara-Eliya candidate C. B. Ratnayake and Walapane Pradeshiya Sabha Opposition Leader Dhammika Herath have been attacked by a UNF cabinet minister last week. The victims had complained to President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the incident and at the same time they had pointed out that that was how the UNF worked for a free and fair election. JHU sources have joined in the game of making predictions. They expect a haul of five seats eroding the vote bank of both major political parties with women devotees forming the bulk of the vote base. The National People's party formed by Srinath Perera several years ago is also in the election fray with a new label - all women's party'. However, the party candidates said that they will not be interested in the vote count but were making a noise for some reasonable representation for womenkind. |
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