Campaigns intensify for LG polls in Vavuniya and Jaffna

by P. Krishnaswamy

With the Vavuniya UC and Jaffna MC polls two weeks away, political parties and independent groups contesting the polls have intensified their campaigns - house to house canvassing, holding pocket and public meetings while releasing election manifestos, according to reports.

No incidents of election-related violence were reported and all campaigns are being conducted peacefully in accordance with democratic norms, said Assistant Commissioners of Elections for the Vavuniya and Jaffna districts, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and the police. The Vanni local leaders of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) led by V. Anandasangaree have pledged support to the ruling UPFA candidates in the Vavuniya UC polls.

The main contenders of the UPFA for the UC polls are candidates from its constituent Tamil party, EPDP led by Minister Douglas Devananda, allies All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) led by Minister Rishad Bathuideen, SRI TELO and EROS.

The TULF is not contesting the Vavuniya UC polls but is contesting the Jaffna MC polls.

Polls in the two local government bodies are significant in that they mark the onset of the post-conflict democratisation process in the Northern province, drawing close observations from the international community, especially our immediate neighbour India, political analysts said.

Assistant Commissioners of Elections in the Vavuniya and Jaffna districts said that all arrangements for the polls have been finalised and they are now in the process of issuing special ICs to those who do not possess authentic documents to establish their identity at the polling stations.

PAFFREL’s Acting Executive Secretary Rohana Hettiarachchi told the Sunday Observer that he met the Assistant Commissioners for Elections for Vavuniya and Jaffna, senior police officers, GAs and representatives of civil society organisations during his recent visit to the areas and ensured that there were no incidents of election-related violence unlike in the Uva where incidents were reported. Their organisation will deploy 85 stationary observers, 24 mobile observers and six vehicles for observation activities in the Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council areas, Hettiarachchi said. In addition two groups of senior citizens have been mobilised at national level to observe pre-election activities.

They will also deploy 16 observers for the 16 IDP polling stations for the six IDP polling stations - Jaffna, Puttalam, Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha and Anuradhapura - Puttalam having the highest number of 1,770 IDP voters, he said, adding that they have already held discussions with the Commissioner of Elections, Inspector General of Police, officers-in-charge of district and divisional administration and representatives of political parties on steps being taken by them to make observations directly through national level teams that tour the areas.