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| Sunday, 14 March 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The battle of the Diyawanna by VIDUSHAKA TNA dreams shattered? Only with 20 more days for the General Election all the parties are busy with their propaganda campaigns. Anyhow, eight candidates contesting the Batticaloa district from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) suspended their election campaign last week. They informed the security authorities that they would suspend the campaign till the crisis between the two rebel leaders Pirabhakaran and Karuna is solved. It was problematic as to why they suspended their election campaign in Batticaloa district as it was under eastern rebel leader Col. Karuna. If they were to say that they could not engage in election activities in the North, it could be accepted since it was alleged that the LTTE brutally assassinated the UNF candidates. The very reason shows that the TNA hopes to win the election in North and East with the help of the LTTE. But their dreams were shattered by this sudden crisis in North. The poor TNA candidates have no other option except being away from the campaign. They know very well they can't win the elections without LTTE support. No need to justify Karuna's role but everyone knows that the eastern rebel leader has some reasonable reasons to take such a decision. On the other hand, it was not a sudden blast but was only an inevitable breaking out of one mighty problem within the LTTE running over years. However, the most pathetic thing is the Government's stance over the Pirabhakaran/Karuna issue. Government Spokesman G.L.Peiris last week said that the government will refrain from gaining any political leverage by interfering in the split in the North-East. "It is our view that the political parties in the South should refrain from any action that would further aggravate the situation. " Ranil Wickremesinghe's government stance is very clear but patriotic people in the country have doubts over their representatives whom they voted for, once, would safeguard the country's integrity and sovereignty. The citizens of this country do not seeeye to eye with the UNF's praises and flattering up of LTTE leadership, as they are the ones who suffered with this war for more than two decades. The other thing the UNF must know is that Karuna is strong enough in the East. He is the one who knows the ground situation as well as the road maps in the area. He is also mature enough to understand his former leader's secret plans to assassinate his counterparts. According to media reports the LTTE leader has already strengthened his security, even changing his residence. The UNF, at least must be capable of understanding the reality that Karuna will not be sacrificing his life in vain as 'Mahattaya' did in 1989. It was also revealed that the LTTE Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman and a team have arrived in Batticaloa to assassinate Col. Karuna while Karuna's faction prepares to meet any counter attack from the LTTE. However, the UNF will not be realistic enough to understand how to transform this situation to solve the country's unending problem. One UNF Cabinet Minister was caught making some childish efforts to sling mud at the UPFA candidates and President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week. As they won the last election allegedly offering money to some opportunistic cronies, this time they were playing with law and order of the country. Seven supporters of JVP Publicity Secretary Wimal Weerwansa were arrested by the Welikada police, when they went to the police station to make an entry and hey presto! allowed the culprits to go away. A team of UNF supporters who were pasting posters against the UPFA were also nabbed by UPFA members last week and brought to a police station. The OIC in the police station was so `kind' to release the culprits saying that the UPFA members had no powers to nab them and hand them over to the law enforcing authorities of the country. However, former MP Weerawansa pledged that the police and the judiciary will be cleaned up under a UPFA regime after April 02. Most of the electronic media programs last week were seen without UNF representation. Though they were trying to say that they had boycotted the state media. however, the reason was that they were not in a position to face the people as they did not keep the promises made at last elections. The delegation from the British High Commission to Kilinochchi last week anyhow, did not bring a positive picture to the people in the South. The High Commissioner Steven Evans's visit to Kilinochchi to open a TRO branch office can not be accepted in the wake of allegations that TRO funds were being used by LTTE - a group proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 in UK. We consider Mr. Evans and his countrymen as our friends. Otherwise, we have to assume that in reality they are still engaged in old colonial ways. The people in the South question him. While his motherland is fighting terrorism, he ceremonially opens offices accused of siphoning monies to 'terrorists'. However, it is surprising that the UNF did not so far come forward to say "No, they are no more terrorists. They have come to the democratic path. Therefore, the High Commissioner's action is not wrong". Mr. Evans and opportunistic politicians have a message from the people in the South. "We, the indigenous people who have suffered enough with the problem only know its weight. We are watching you. You can't fool us again". |
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