UPFA's popularity soars to great heights

Last week's Local Government election results again reiterated the masses' increasing support for the United People's Freedom Alliance, which won 21 out of the 23 LG bodies for which elections were held on October 8. The ruling UPFA, with its latest election victory, has secured power in 271 Local Government bodies of the 322 for which elections were held in April, July and October this year.

Having secured control of 21 LG bodies, including all Municipal Councils except Colombo, the UPFA had fortified its grip, having won 250 of the 299 LG bodies in the first two phases. Though the UPFA lost Colombo, it had increased its vote base from 57,158 in 2006 to 77,089 in 2011. On completion of elections to all Local Government bodies, the UPFA took control of 84.16 percent of the LG bodies, an all-time record.

The main Opposition, the UNP, secured power in only 10 LG bodies - 3.10 percent of the 322 Local Government institutions - the party's worst ever in Sri Lanka's six-decade long Local Government election history. The TNA won 12 LG bodies while the JVP failed to secure power even in a single LG body.

What is all the more significant in the UPFA's landslide victory is its penetration to UNP strongholds in the hill capital. The Kandy and Nuwara Eliya Municipal Councils which had been UNP bastions were secured by the UPFA. For the first time in the 58-year-old Local Government election history, the UNP was defeated in Kandy. It was the same in the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council which the UNP lost after 28 long years.

The rout of the UNP in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya is conclusive proof that the main Opposition has lost even its customary strongholds after many moons. Never in the LG polls history has the UNP fallen to such a low ebb. Its isolated victory is in the Colombo Municipal Council election, thanks to the host of promises and fairy-tales to woo the majority of the Tamil-speaking citizenry.

The UNP's victory in Colombo and its ignominious defeats in Hambantota are ample proof that the majority of the party membership still supports the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Leader of the Opposition. The UNP chief and its national organiser Ravi Karunanayake played a key role in the party's success in Colombo. In contrast, the UNP Reformists, who had been shouting themselves hoarse to oust Wickremesinghe, failed miserably in their own electorates.

For example, the UNP lost disastrously in Hambantota, despite the efforts of its Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa who went hammer and tongs to secure the party leadership. It was no different in several other areas represented by the rebels in the UNP Reformists' camp. The UNP suffered another humiliating defeat in Kurunegala, notwithstanding the pains taken by Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera. The UNP Reformists shamelessly went to the extent of even fielding its own teams as independent groups in certain LG bodies. But barely any of them could attract any votes.

The glib-talking independent group fielded by UNP Reformists polled only a thousand odd votes in Matara. This brings into sharp focus the Reformists' stand in the UNP and the unwavering support for its experienced leader. In the same vein, the UPFA consolidated its position in the suburbs of Colombo, polling more than three times the total votes which the UNP polled in the Kotikawatte-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha with a record percentage of over 73.66 - second only to the UPFA's performance in Gampaha - 74.08 percent.

The Chairman of the Kotikawatte-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha, Prasanna Solangaarachchi retained his position with a record number of preferential votes. What is even more significant in this victory was his charisma to attract over 100 percent of the votes polled by the UPFA. When his party polled 37,998 votes, Solangaarachchi polled a staggering 42,322 preferential votes, the highest by an UPFA candidate.

However, it was most unfortunate that violence in the area claimed the life of former Parliamentarian and Presidential Advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra who died in a shoot-out in Walpola, Mulleriyawa. His untimely death reiterates the need to abolish the controversial preferential voting system introduced by former President J.R. Jayewardene in the 1978 Constitution in his lust for power.

The death of Premachandra, an active trade union leader, is an irreparable loss to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The Government, no doubt, will conduct an impartial investigation on last weekend's shooting incident and bring the culprits to book.

Sans this isolated incident, the final phase of the LG poll was free and fair without any major incidents. Hence, the UNP and the JVP could not trot out lame excuses for their defeat and should openly acknowledge that their parties have been repudiated in toto by the masses.Unless they abandon their inborn habit of criticising the Government at every turn merely for the sake of doing so, the masses would push these two parties into the political dustbin. During the past 20 months, there have been all kinds of elections - Presidential election, General election, Provincial Council elections and LG polls.

The UPFA has gone from strength to strength at all these elections by increasing its immense popularity under the illustrious leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The only remaining election would be the Northern Provincial Council, which would be held no sooner the de-mining operations and resettlement are fully completed.

Hence, the time is now opportune for all people's representatives-elect to work tirelessly for the people, irrespective of petty party politics. Political rivalry should be confined to elections only. Now that elections have been completed, it is the bounden duty of all people's representatives to deliver the goods. The masses all over the country have pledged utmost support for the UPFA at all elections. Therefore, the Government has a responsibility to fulfill that cherished dream of the people and meet their expectations. It is beholden on the people's representatives, irrespective of their political camp, to support the President in his endeavour to make Sri Lanka the "Wonder of Asia".