Top scorers in Local Councils say ...:

UNP will bounce back in near future

By Jaliya Wijeyekdon

The United National Party which has rendered an invaluable service to the nation since its inception, had been eroded nationally, provincially and regionally during the past few years. Local government elections held in March and July 2011 amply prove that the UNP vote base had been reduced to deplorable levels to the utter disappointment of its party membership.

Elections for over 85 percent of the local bodies had been already completed and the UNP won only nine councils while the UPFA was swept into power in over 90 percent of the local bodies. The ITAK, TNA, and Muslim Congress consolidated their position in the North and the East.

Elections for the remaining Councils will be held in September and it will be a distant dream for the United National Party to win any of them unless they immediately launch an effective, viable and aggressive election campaign to achieve some positive result.

However on scrutinising the election results, it is evident that some candidates of the United National Party who contested different Councils have fared extremely well and polled the highest number of preferences although some of them have not been able to win their Councils for the party.

There are only eight local Councils that managed to retain the power for the party while the Lahugala Pradeshiya Sabha is the only local body in the island that UNP won afresh from UPFA rule. The Avissawella Urban Council is the one and only Local body in the Colombo District that was won by the UNP and also with a comfortable majority with an additional member to its fold.

The Deraniyagala Pradesheeya Sabha situated in a remote area of Kegalle district had been retained by UPFA, with a slender majority of 161 votes as against 6,900 odd majority votes they polled at the previous election in 2006. The new candidate of the UNP Ranjith Polgampola polled an unprecedented number of preferential votes viz 13,465 while the total number of votes polled for the Party was only 9,580. Polgampola created a record in the local election history obtaining the highest percentage of preferential votes ever polled by a candidate of any party since the inception of this system.

Dodangoda Pradesheeya Sabha of Kaluthara district was also retained by UPFA. But new UNP candidate Uditha Ileperuma polled the highest number of preferential votes in the party reducing the majority gap of 6,900 votes polled by UPFA in 2006 to 3,000 odd votes at the last election.

Kesbewa Municipal Council which was under the UNP rule lost this time to UPFA with a majority of 8,000 votes. Although the UNP was defeated at the election UNP, Mayoral candidate and the former Chairman, Leonard Karunaratne polled a staggering 32,000 votes as against the Mayoral candidate of UPFA who polled only 11,000 votes.

In the backdrop of all these developments and the negative political atmosphere in the party Sunday Observer contacted thoseprovincial politicians who have consolidated their positions in 2011 local elections to ascertain how they managed to perform well when the overall situation in the country is not favourable for the party.

R. Chandrasena, Chairman, Lahugala Pradesheeya Sabha

Q: Your Council is the only Pradesheeya Sabha won by the United National Party from UPFA rule in 2011 Local elections in March this year. How did you manage to achieve this victory for the party amidst all unfavourable conditions for the party? What is the strategy you adopted during the election campaign?

A: As far as I know the main reason for our victory is that I was with the people of my area from 1994. During the last tenure of office that UPFA ruled this council there had been a number of corruptions specially on land allocations to the people. I educated the people over these malpractices and requested them to support us.

National issues or so-called inner party conflicts do not affect local politics. Our area is a distant remote area and people are very grateful.

They cannot be easily hoodwinked by false promises and temporary relief measures. Our area leader Daya Gamage is a tower of strength for us and his contribution was of immense importance for us to win the council for our party.

Premalal Pinto ,

Chairman, Urban Council, Avissawella

Q: Your Council is the only local body that was retained by the United National Party in Colombo district in 2011 local elections with a comfortable majority with an additional member to your party. How did you manage to achieve this great victory when almost all the other councils were badly defeated? Haven’t the victory over terrorism and the development activities of the government or the inner problems of your party affected the Avissawella people at all?

A: National issues like eradication of terrorism or so-called development activities of the government or inner problems of our party do not play a major role in toppling the administration of a local body. It is the manner in which you handled the affairs and conducted yourself that lead you to victory or defeat. During my tenure of office, I have carried out my duties and responsibilities honestly, diligently and quite transparently. At the same time I have been working for the party to my fullest potential. Even the ruling party stalwarts of the area readily accept the fact that A’wella Urban Council is a corrupt free local body.

Avissawella Urban Council was selected as the best local body in Western Province last year and year before.

It was a great achievement for us. Victory for the UNP in Avissawella Urban Council in 2011 was a foregone conclusion well before the election was held. We have been steadily progressing and consolidating our party stand in Avissawella from the day I took over the reins of the Council whatever the government party in power. Apart from my official duties which I discharge quite impartially, I am involved in our party activities and do the organisational work to bring back our party to power in a future general election.

Ranjith Polgampola,

Opposition Leader Deraniyagala Pradesheeya Sabha

Q: Although your party had been defeated at the 2011 local elections, you have polled a record number of preferential votes in the UNP list which is supposed to be the highest in the island polled by any candidate in any party since this system was introduced. How did you manage to get so much of votes at a time when the party is losing power?

A: There was no problem at all for us to win the council for UNP had the area organiser and other candidates also put in little more effort during the run up to the election campaign. Last time UNP had lost with a majority of 6,900 odd votes where as this time we lost only by 161 votes. I contested the election for the first time in life and polled 13 thousand odd votes.

I was not interested in politics but people of Deraniyagala wanted me to contest since I was actively involved in social service work from my school days. I spend my personal savings on a number of humanitarian projects in the area. I don’t like to detail you from A to Z the work I do but generally I would say that that I look after the poor in my area in every way possible; Health wise, education wise, religion wise I help the needy. I also help the temples, churches, koviles and mosques in my area without any discrimination.

I know a large number of UPFA supporters have this time voted for UNP in order to give their preference to me. United National Party could easily revive in Deraniyagala provided area organisers properly conduct the political activities in the area accomadating the eligible people to correct places and launch an aggressive campaign against this corrupt government.

Uditha Ileperuma,

Opposition Leader Dodangoda Pradesheeya Sabha

Q: You are a newcomer to politics and polled the highest number of preferences at the 2011 local elections in your party. How did you manage to muster the support of the majority contesting as a new candidate?

A: Well I am from a committed UNP background. I have read the history of the country and I know that the United National Party has done a great service to this country from independence. I am involved in different type of social service activities in addition to being a businessman. I have managed to educate and convince the youth in my area about the progressive measures taken by our former UNP leaders for the benefit of the successive generations in this country. Specially beginning from D.S., Dudley, C.W.W. Kannangara who have left indelible impressions in the annals of history in this country.

I am sure most of my supporters were the youth in this area who voted for me irrespective of party politics.

At the previous election we had lost this council by over double the gap than this year.

I am quite confident that we should be able to win this area for the UNP at a future election when we execute the plans that we have drawn to muster the support of the public.

Lenard Karunaratne Opposition Leader Kesbewa Pradesheeya Sabha.

Q: Your party has lost the power in the council but you have polled almost three times more than your rival candidate in the UPFA list. How have you consolidated your personal position so well or what are the strategy that you adopted at the election campaign?

A: It is not the election campaign or the strategy that I followed which helped me to get 32,000 preferences. During the last tenure of my office I earned the confidence of the people in Kesbewa, working for them impartially, honestly and efficiently. Although we had only 7 members collective opposition was 10. But I had no problem in discharging my duties since I did everything for the benefit of the area public. I never took anything from the council allocations.

My salary was directed to maintain the health clinic of pregnant mothers. I didn’t use even the official vehicle. We have taken a number of measures to uplift the living standards of the needy public of the area.

Well, about the election results I must say that at all the elections we have had during the last 5 to 6 years, we have lost Kesbewa with huge majorities of 30, 40 thousand votes.

But we lost the council this time only by 8,000 votes. Although we lost the power we have been able to achieve some respectable standard in comparison to some other councils in the island.

Yes, the people have reposed confidence in me heavily and I shall work hard for the party and for the supporters even as the opposition leader of Kesbewa until we form a government of our own in the near future.