Crucial LG polls :

Political parties at daggers drawn

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Local Government Elections issue has stirred a hornet’s nest with the Government and the Opposition at loggerheads over the possible date of holding the elections. The Government’s explanation for the delay in holding elections is that the delimitation process will take time to be completed.

Voters lined up at a polling booth

The Joint Opposition which is pressing for early elections is certain they will record a landslide victory if the elections are held without delay. Meanwhile, a cabal of former SLFP Local Body Chairmen have threatened that they would fight the elections on a new pro-SLFP platform, presumably under the leadership of the Rajapaksas. Joint Opposition stalwart MP Dullas Alahapperuma dismissed any SLFP connection or its blessings for any new political organizations, saying the need of the hour is to build a broad national organization to win the Local Government Elections, while the JVP too will be invited. Alahapperuma asserted, as true SLFPers they would not encourage any split in the party on any account to help the UNP to capatilise on the prevailing situation. UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera castigated certain elements within the SLFP for trying to erode the party with narrow politics. These attempts he said, will certainly help the UNP to further consolidate its vote base. He added, those minor political parties though grouped under the SLFP led UPFA umbrella, only try to strengthen their stature at the cost of the SLFP vote. The Basil factor has stirred the SLFP with anti-Basil factions being relentlessly critical of his revisiting SLFP politics.

Polls

However, the Government’s recent decision not to extend the tenure of 23 Local Government bodies is a clear indication of their desire to hold the Local Government (LG) polls without further delay. Provincial Council and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha at a recent press briefing pointed out the possibility to hold the election before the next Sinhala and Hindu New Year. The terms of the 23 Local Government Bodies ended on June 30.

The UNP under the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has launched a massive membership drive to augment its vote base. Only the UNP can take the country to the desired goals of development and social wellbeing, the Premier told an audience during the membership drive. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka’s joining the UNP with his party members has further boosted the UNP’s image in the country. UNP Media Spokesman and Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said, the monolith UNP could very well score a landslide victory at the upcoming LG Elections.

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam

Dullas Alahapperuma

SLFP Media Spokesman, State Minister, Highways Dilan Perera told the Sunday Observer, the SLFP Central committee has decided to contest the upcoming LG polls under the UPFA banner and appointed six Sub Committees to interview the applicants. Asked whether there is any move by some constituent parties in the UPFA to create divisions within the SLFP, Minister Perera said it is what the UNP and certain pro-UNP media want to do. “I don’t think the SLFP leadership or real hardcore SLFPers will allow it. As we know, persons like former Minister Basil Rajapaksa who attempted to create divisions within the SLFP might want to do that. But, there is a lot of opposition to Rajapaksa’s move to divide the SLFP. The UNP and its pro-UNP media only daydream that the SLFP will split. The SLFP members in the Government and the Joint Opposition have a cordial relationship, and a good rapport with each other. Ninety nine percent of the SLFP MPs in the Joint Opposition will not allow to divide the party.

Joint Opposition front-liner MP Dullas Alahapperuma categorically denied that the Joint Opposition has taken any decision whatsoever to separately contest the LG polls. At this juncture, we pressurise the Government to hold the LG Elections without further delay.We would form a broad national alliance to realize this goal, and call upon the JVP to join hands with us. We call upon all anti-government forces to rally round to win the LG elections. How to contest or who will win is a totally different matter. At the moment, our utmost priority is to get an early election. We also request the SLFP MPs elected by the people and holding portfolios in the Government to join hands with us if they really love the party, because President Maithripala Sirisena has stressed the need to restore democracy. Various suggestions have come from SLFP Pradeshiya Sabha and Urban Council members. If some of them had been expelled from the party, they have no alternative but to contest from another alliance. The need of the hour is to form a broad national alliance to win the LG polls, restore democracy and reduce the VAT burden imposed on the people.

Shadow Cabinet

Meanwhile, in a dramatic turn of events, the Joint Opposition on Thursday (July 7) introduced a 50 member shadow Cabinet led by former President and UPFA Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa. Former President Rajapaksa has been appointed shadow Prime Minister with shadow portfolios of Defence, Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs. The Joint Opposition has also decided to launch a broad-based national movement urging the people to rally against the Government. It will be marked with a four-day protest march commencing July 28 from Kandy, and expecting to reach Colombo on August 1.

All political parties in the Joint Opposition will participate in the protest march which would lay emphasis on several key issues, such as, the breakdown in good governance, indefinitely postponing LG Elections and the escalation of the cost of living.

UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said, those who want to secure victory for the UNP may attempt to create divisions within the SLFP, while those who love the party will join hands with them. Those who have got a contract to defeat the SLFP would contest separately. The SLFP will contest each and every electorate at the upcoming LG polls. We have already received 9,700 applications and more are expected. We would successfully conduct our election campaign.

At the last several elections also some constituent parties in the SLFP led UPFA coalition deliberately created issues to increase the number of their MPs. Some of these minor political parties under the pretext of acting as an anti-UNP force, really attempted to strengthen their stature at the cost of the SLFP vote. Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa attempts to create a rift in the SLFP and mislead the SLFP members in the Joint Opposition.

He is coating a bitter pill with sugar. Since the day I assumed office, I tried to reconcile the two SLFP factions. But it seems, the UNP has to intervene to reconcile the two factions.

There is a faction in the SLFP which has decided to divide the party to cater to the interest of the UNP, while one faction is of the view that they should quit the party and form a separate political entity.

UNP Media Spokesman and Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Sunday Observer that as the UNP turns 70 this September, its leadership is looking at innovative ways to reach out to young voters who could impact the long term sustainability of the party.

The UNP has launched a new app for smartphone users to increase membership. The app, a brainchild of the Party Leader would make it easier for the youth to engage with the party and get the information they need and it is also connected to their other social media sites such as facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The UNP is the first political party which introduced e membership cards in Sri Lanka’s political history.

The e membership card was launched at a ceremony held at UNP party headquarters, Sirikotha on June 23 under the patronage of Party Leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The party has decided to release print membership forms in every major city countrywide. Senior party members will take the campaign to the grassroots conducting house to house campaigns to spread our vision and increase the party vote base. A new set of organisers will also be appointed. The UNP has launched a fresh recruitment drive targeting the upcoming LG polls. Sri Lanka currently has 15 million registered voters and the UNP is planning to encourage at least 20 percent or three million of them to become UNP members. “We are confident our party will perform well during the upcoming LG elections,” he said.