Politicians from North and East say:

Ensure no mix up in priorities
 

East is in focus. It will turn a new leaf in the next few days. Finally people will decide where they should go and what they need. This time ‘Face 2 Face’ focuses on the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections.

Prabagaran Sivageetha - Mayor, Batticaloa Municipal Council	Dharmalingam Sithadthan - former MP for Vanni District, Leader of PLOTE Pic by: Kavindra Perera

How do you see the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council polls?

Prabagaran Sivageetha:

It is very important. People of the East have undergone many untold hardships. Therefore, it is necessary to develop as many areas as possible. There is a lot to be done. That is why we, the TMVP, insisted in our recommendations to the APRC for a permanent resolution to the ethnic conflict in a united Sri Lanka.

We reiterated that it is essential to fully implement the Provincial Council system as envisaged in the 13th Amendment.And moreover, our party joined with the UPFA for the simple reason that they have a genuine interest to improve the lives of the people of the East.During the time I held the Chief Secretary post of the TMVP, we had regular discussions with the Government and gave very productive results.

Dharmalingam Sithadthan:

Comparatively, this election is bit more violent than the previous Local Government elections. The Local Government elections were violence free. But in the present election we hear of assaults here and there.

In our opinion we feel that having elections is good; because there will be an institution to look after the needs of the people. East is the most affected area due to the tsunami, the war and then floods. So the people are really in a very needy situation.

Are you confident that the Provincial Council system will work well in the East unlike the failure of the previous North and East Provincial Council?

PS: Yes. Because the present Government has a genuine interest to find a lasting solution to the crisis. They are truly committed in finding an answer to the grievances of the people.And we feel that this system will work to bring a lasting solution with in a united country with powers devolved to the North and the East.

DS: Provincial Councils itself are not enough. We need a system where the powers are, devolved fully under the PC system because of the confusion between the concurrent list, the state list and so on. Secondly, the powers are not enough. The effectiveness of the PC system completely depends on the Government.

The Government should decide whether to run an effective provincial council system or allow it to fail as in the past. Though we see that the PC system is not sufficient we believe that if the Government allows the councils to function properly at least we can meet certain needs of the people. It has to start somewhere.

Does the Provincial Council Elections in the East indicate that the democracy has been restored to a greater extent since the region was liberated from LTTE last year?

PS: Yes. Now the people are happy. For more than ten years these people were not able to elect their representatives. They had no elected body when they were under the fascist clutches of the LTTE.

DS: Now the whole Eastern province is under the Government control. But having elections alone does not indicate that democracy has been totally restored. How the elections are held, whether it is free and fair, whether every party is allowed to contest matters of vital importance.

The Government needs to assure a free and fair election if true democracy is to be restored. Of course, we agree that we can not wait until total normalcy returned to the area to hold elections. Somewhere it should start. But at present there are threats lying underneath the total scenario.

How do you see the functions of the newly-established local government bodies in the Batticaloa district?

PS: Local Government bodies act as the foundation. We have initiated a 90 day program to attend to the immediate necessities of the public such as uplifting the infrastructure including the public health facilities.

We have formed four committees under the Municipal Council Ordinance to speed up and ease the work carried out by the MC. We strongly focus on getting the ideas from the grass roots level. Hence, we have continuous dialogues with women committees, senior citizens, rural development societies etc.

DS: It is too early to comment on it. They need some time to perform.Then we can see whether they are efficient and effective. As soon as they establish themselves they have to attend to the Provincial Council elections. So their responsibilities change. We need to wait for sometime to analyze their performance.

What should be the priority for the new Provincial council in the East?

PS: Education, agriculture and fisheries sectors. Education, a vital sector of any society, was facing great difficulties due to the untold hardships the area underwent. On the other hand, agriculture and fishing are the main livelihood income generation sources of a majority of the populace.

DS: First the development. And when we mean development it includes everything - resettlement, rehabilitation and ensure that people are having the opportunity to lead a normal life. People must be able to start their lives on their own.

What is your impression on the participation of the opposition UNP, which opposed the local polls in the Batticaloa district?

PS: People know very well the benefits brought to them by the TMVP by joining hands with the UPFA. We were with the people throughout their hard times.They have understood this reality. We are not coming into the area just for elections.We were with the people when they were suffering. We were with the people right through.

DS: The decision taken by them to contest in this election is good. We welcome it. Without the main opposition in the country the elections may not be democratic.

In order to restore democracy in the region, the representation of almost all the political parties is necessary. In that way anti-democratic activities can be prevented since there will be an opposing party to restrain other party or parties from carrying on such activities.

Do you expect the countries that were involved in the peace process to support the provincial council system in settling the North and East crisis?

PS: Well, we do need help and support of the international community as much as we need to find our own solution. We do seek their help. And if we talk about our closest neighbour, India, they have traditional links with us. And I must mention the efforts put in through the APRC are very productive. Almost all the parties have submitted their proposals.

DS: Well now nobody is there. In my opinion PC system is not going to solve the problem. It is not enough. India is in favour of the 13th Amendment. But not just the 13 the Amendment. It is 13th Amendment plus. As I see India and India only matters. We also stress that the solution is 13th Amendment plus.

I feel the interest of the western countries is very low. It is not because of the interest in the Tamil community but economically and culturally India can play a big role in this. They have a moral right, not to intervene, but to involve in finding a reasonable solution to the conflict.

Do you expect the Eastern Province to remain free from the Northern Province or the two provinces to get merged?

PS: The fact is that it is not a matter of being merged or de-merged. What is important is that people get a chance to live peacefully whether they are in the North or the East. They must have a system which would meet their aspirations.

DS: It is a decision by the Supreme Court and we respect that. But politically we feel that it has to be re-merged. This is what we feel. But the final decision totally depends on how the people feel.

We must understand their requirements and systems should be implemented accordingly. We definitely respect their wishes. Any final solution to the conflict should be able to cater to the aspirations of all people living in these areas.

How do you see the proposed special task force committee for the Northern Province Development to the development in the region?

PS: Just like people of the East their counterparts in the Northern Province certainly have the right to breathe freely the air of freedom. Northern people need development. They need to uplift their lives. Hence, an advisory body that would enhance the development progress of the North seems to be a positive step.

DS: That the resettlement and rehabilitation programs ought to be implemented in the Northern Province as well, there is no doubt. It is bit difficult for me to comment on this because I do not know the terms and conditions of the task force.