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| Sunday, 4 December 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Presidential Election 2005 - UPFA's strategy by Kan Butani The recently concluded keenly contested Presidential election can be described as a "Strategic Masterpiece". An indepth analysis would show that although the number of votes obtained by the two major parties the UNP and UPFA were almost equal, the UNP was well and truly beaten strategically. The UNP won large majorities in Nuwara Eliya and the East, Digamadulla and Trincomalee because of the open support extended by Rauff Hakeem and Thondaman, and had the people in the North voted may have even scraped through, but the UPFA group aimed at a 50.3% victory obtained with 50.29% with an accuracy upto 0.01%, speaks volumes for the systematic planing, accuracy and methodical preparation for the event. The UNP did not have a fallback plan in the event, people in the North didn't exercise their franchise, but the UPFA were so sure of victory at all times that one would not be surprised if they were aware of this situation prior to the election. Their repetition of the victory bid with metronomic regularity was incredible. The campaign conducted by the UNP was baseless going by the results especially the postal votes from which it was clear that the bourgeoisie and proletariat from most of the areas did not vote for them. Their freedom from hunger campaign and reduction in price of masoor dal, sprats and milk only caused a stomach ache. It appears that they had no contact with the voters at grassroots level and were completely ignorant of the voter's wants and needs especially with regard to the peace process and also the other burning issues such as the cost of living, unemployment and other socio-economic problems. They had not analysed the election results during the previous years, not examined the electoral registers, the voter's list at polling booths ect. Those in charge had virtually cut the grass from under their leader's feet. Were they aware that a number of names were expunged from the voter's lists at a number of polling booths. That their campaign was baseless and expectation grossly inaccurate was seen from the fact that they made no noise or protest whatsoever when several names from polling lists at a number of polling booths were missing and also that a hartal perpetrated by the LTTE whose leader Prabhakaran has proved to have established a reputation of a Kingmaker in the recent elections concluded in the past two decades, prevented the people in the North from voting, but protested only after the results were announced creating a 'Heads I win, Tails you lose' situation. |
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