UPFA set for another landslide win

Elections for the Southern Provincial Council (SPC) will be held on Saturday. The SPC election would undoubtedly help the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to strengthen its vote base and on the other hand determine the political destinies of the main Opposition - the United National Party (UNP) and the fast-fading People's Liberation Front (JVP).

The UPFA has shown a remarkable performance at all Provincial Council and Local Government elections in the recent past. The climax of the series of UPFA victories was emblazoned at the recent Uva Provincial Council elections.

Despite the Uva Province being a customary UNP stronghold, the UPFA registered a landslide victory at the Uva Provincial Council elections. The UPFA secured a commanding average of around 80 per cent of votes and the upward trend would be reflected in the South too. The Southern Province has been traditionally a UPFA stronghold and the UNP and JVP will face a poll which could determine the fate of the two Opposition parties.

The UNP was routed at 22 elections, including the successive Presidential Elections under the tottering leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe. Any right-thinking leader of a political party would have resigned long ago without pushing his party further to its political grave. Come what may, Wickremesinghe is holding on to the party leadership, despite his proven track record as a born loser.

His so-called alliance with three other similar bankrupt political leaders - Rauf Hakeem, Mano Ganeshan and Mangala Samaraweera - has done more harm than good to the UNP. Many loyal party leaders and supporters are deserting the UNP due to the negative impact of the alliance on the UNP. The leaders have been rejected in no uncertain terms by the masses.

In contrast, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has not only strengthened the UPFA but has also taken Sri Lanka to new horizons. The key to the recent successes has been the political sagacity of President Rajapaksa, who has achieved more feats than any other Head of State in the country.

It was his illustrious political leadership, coupled with the right military decisions of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa which led our valiant Security Forces to liberate Sri Lanka from the grip of LTTE terror. In May, the Security Forces accomplished the greatest humanitarian operation and liberated the country from the clutches of LTTE terrorism. Due to the heroic efforts of the Security Forces which annihilated the world's most ruthless terrorist organisation, President Rajapaksa has helped create a peaceful environment.

The President has always put country before self, sinking petty political differences. A fearless leader, he has never bowed to international pressure. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka are of utmost importance to him. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Rajapaksa has taken several landmark decisions to rescue over half a million civilians who had been held as a human shield by the LTTE.

Apart from those magnificent military victories which enabled Sri Lanka to stand tall as a sovereign nation, many development projects have been implemented to take Sri Lanka to greater heights.

Mega development projects such as the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Plant, Kerawalapitiya Power Plant and the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant have been launched to meet the increasing demand for power. Five ports, including the Hambantota Port are under construction.

The Southern Expressway, Moragahakanda Reservoir, Uma Oya Project, the Southern International Airport and other mega development projects have also been implemented under the leadership of President Rajapaksa. Many flyover bridges have been constructed in strategic locations to ease traffic congestion, enabling people to save precious time and reduce fuel costs.

The country's economy has shown steady growth, despite unfavourable world economic trends. The stock market has achieved greater heights with ever-increasing investor confidence. The total investments under BOI projects during the first four years under President Rajapaksa's administration is double the total investments compared to all previous Presidents from 1978 - 2005. This alone is ample testimony and speaks volumes of the confidence foreign investors have kept in the Rajapaksa administration.

The people of this country would not be swayed by power-hungry politicians who would resort to anything in their lust for power. It was none other than Ranil Wickremesinghe and his opportunist politicians who went globe-trotting to exert pressure on the Government through the international community during the recent humanitarian operations. They made every endeavour to infuse the last drop of oxygen to Prabhakaran and his LTTE cadres.

Wickremesinghe undertook successive tours to the West to project a gloomy picture of his motherland and lobbied to withdraw the GSP plus concession given to local garments by the European Union. With elections round the corner, Wickremesinghe is now trying to vindicate his position that he never lobbied to withdraw the GSP facility.

People are closely monitoring the conduct of all politicians, what they do, say and what they deliver eventually. The Opposition, even at this late stage, must refrain from degenerating to a level that affects the country.

Unless they make a sincere effort to serve the country, the masses would keep them in the Opposition benches till thy kingdom come.

On the other hand, the Southern Provincial Council elections would also create a platform for the JVP to evaluate their true strength. In days gone by, the JVP's strongest area had been the South, the birthplace of many party leaders. But lo and behold, the JVP's vote base has been fast deteriorating and its current position would be revealed by next Sunday. The people in the South would reaffirm their confidence and strengthen the hands of the President for creating an atmosphere for all Sri Lankans to live with pride, dignity and self-respect.