Obey election laws UPFA candidates told

While the attention of most people across the globe focused on 2012 Olympic Games, now in progress in London, the election fever in Sri Lanka's North Central, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa provinces is gradually catching up as political parties contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council polls, intensified their campaigns.

The Police have implemented a special security program at District Secretariat level to detect election law violations. They have set up checkpoints near District Secretariats to monitor election-related incidents until election day. The Police Department has taken measures to place a log book at every police station in the district where elections are to be held, where the public can lodge complaints regarding election law violations.

Most political parties have commended the efforts taken by the Police, which is extending maximum support to hold a free and fair election. The Police have requested candidates and supporters not to violate the Elections Act and have warned that violators will be arrested and produced before courts.

The ruling UPFA has made an official written request to former Chief Ministers and Provincial Councillors contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council elections, to refrain from using immovable or movable state property for election campaigns.UPFA General Secretary and Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha said that some of the former councillors and Chief Ministers have responded to this request by officially handing over state property.

He said the UPFA has also requested its Local Government representatives who are contesting the elections to take leave from their work places from the date of nominations up to the date of elections.

Minister Premajayantha said they have been requested not to use state property at election campaigns. He requested UPFA candidates not to exhibit posters, cutouts and banners at places where it is illegal to do so. He said the UPFA is fully committed to hold free, fair and peaceful elections by adhering to election laws.UPFA candidates have been advised to pay more attention to house-to-house campaigning. Minister Premajayantha said the government’s development activities will be carried out smoothly despite the elections.

He said even though the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress contests separately for the Eastern Province, it would continue to work with the government soon after the elections.He said a UPFA victory in all three Provincial Councils is imminent.

There is no disadvantage to the UPFA, due to its coalition partner contesting separately. Premajayantha said the UPFA has nominated Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim candidates for the Eastern Province considering the multi-ethnic nature of the province.

The people and political parties in the East seem to be making maximum use of the freedom that exists in the province after it was liberated from the clutches of LTTE terror. There are 34 political parties and independent groups contesting the Eastern Provincial Council and this amply demonstrates the characteristics of democracy.

While the election campaigns of the respective political parties was heating up gradually, President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week inspected the Hathagala Raja Maha Vihara , Hungama, which was vandalised by treasure hunters recently. The Vihara Mandiraya of the historic Hathagala Vihara was vandalised by treasure hunters, causing extensive damage to the ancient Buddha statue. The President also met the temple’s Chief Incumbent Ven Pallegama Sri Jinarathana Thera.

The President, on his way back, visited a dansala in Ambalantota organised by the public to provide meals for devotees attending the Esela Perehera of the Ruhunu Katharagama Maha Devalaya. The President spent time talking to the people who patronised the dansela.

The Country's main Opposition, meanwhile, seemed to be making a desperate attempt to put its house in order before the elections. But the internal power struggle has deepened after disputes over the selection of UNP candidates to the three provinces, as party seniors were engaged in a cold war to promote their favourites, rather than candidates who could win the hearts of the masses.The Sri Lanka Freedom Party last week challenged Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to point out any positive changes, if there were any, made to develop agriculture during his regime as the Prime Minister or during the period of the UNP government, in which he was a minister, without shedding crocodile tears for the farmer community.

Minister Maithripala Sirisena had said the UNP and the JVP which worked for the downfall of agriculture and the farmer community, were shedding crocodile tears today. He said the JVP set fire to 240 agrarian service and paddy storage centres during the late 1980s.

He recalled the 1988/89 JVP terror and said that the JVP also killed farmers who did not obey their orders, destroyed electricity supply lines, roads and bridges disrupting farmers’ livelihood. Minister Sirisena said though the D. S. Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake Governments developed agriculture, the UNP governments which came into power after this, worked for the downfall of the agriculture sector.

He also disclosed how the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) was closed down by UNP regime and its assets sold.

Minister Sirisena dropped a bombshell at a time the UNP is in disarray when he addressed a UPFA election rally held at Siripura, Polonnaruwa last Monday. "‘When the late Gamini Dissanayake contested the 1994 Presidential election as the UNP candidate, it was Ranil Wickremesinghe who undermined his campaign by disclosing Dissanayake's election strategies to the People’s Alliance candidate Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga," he alleged.

As such can any UNP supporter who honoured and respected late Gamini Dissanayake vote for the UNP led by Ranil at the forthcoming Provincial Council election? Minister Sirisena who asked all UNPers who honoured late Gamini Dissanayake to vote for the UPFA led by President Rajapaksa. Minister Sirisena said all UNPers should also remember that it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who eliminated the cruel LTTE terrorists who took the life of Gamini Dissanayake.

Minister Sirisena said a crisis within the UNP had caused the dismemberment of the party today. Ranil Wickremesinghe recently summoned his rubber stamp UNP Working Committee and extended the term of the party president to six years. "The party rank and file had already criticised this undemocratic move. Therefore, the UNP had no right to point an accusing finger against the government when it did not practise democracy within its own ranks. Perhaps Wickremesinghe may be trying out the tactics of his uncle J.R. Jayewardene who threatened to roll up the electoral map of Sri Lanka sometime ago," he said.

Though former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, now enjoying her retirement, had denied that Wickremesinghe leaked UNP's election strategies to undermine Dissanayake's presidential election campaign, she had admitted that there had been a meeting between her and Wickremesinghe.

"Mr. Wickremesinghe did pay a courtesy call on her (Kumaratunga) after she assumed duties as Prime Minister, in his capacity as the outgoing Prime Minister. He also called on her at the time she left office as Executive President," a statement by the former President's office said.

It is heartening to see President Rajapaksa, even after his successive election as Executive President - a post with immense powers, created by the JR administration still reposing faith in parliamentary democracy. His passion for parliamentary politics was once again demonstrated during his monthly breakfast meeting with media heads and chief editors last week.

He told media heads that that the solution to the issues faced by the communities is in Parliament, where all relevant parties must parley together and arrive at a consensual remedy, since the problem is of a national nature.

“This is a problem faced by the country. Therefore a collective solution should be arrived at through a process of consultation, involving all relevant parties. In fact, these parties are duty-bound to help out in this effort,” the President said.

He said the elections to the Northern Provincial Council will be held by September next year, once the resettlement and rehabilitation of all the displaced of the North and the dismantling of all the high security zones in the province are completed.

“To hold the Northern poll, we must ascertain the exact number of electors of the North. In this exercise we cannot base ourselves in the 1981 enumeration. We have to go about this in a democratic way and for this purpose all the displaced in the region, including the Sinhala and Muslim refugees, must be brought back and resettled in the province.

To complete this process we need some time and this is why the election cannot be held before September,” the President said.Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa who was also present at the meeting said the new electoral list for the North will be finalised by next June.

The Government hopes to resettle all the displaced persons by September next year. Muslims and Sinhalese, who left the province over the years due to LTTE threats, too will be resettled. The President said that Northern PC polls could not be held until all the persons return to the region. "There could be no fair poll unless we resettle all those communities," he said. It was also pointed out that some international organisations do not understand the importance of the earlier displaced, raising land issues in discussions relating to them. But both categories of displaced persons need to return and be resettled.

The President told the editors that he is ready to face elections at any given time to test the pulse of the masses. “I am ready for polls at any time. This is one way in which I test the pulse of the people,” the President said.

“But over the 17 years we were in the Opposition we demanded polls. We eagerly waited for them because we wanted to know the people’s aspirations. But sections of our present Opposition want to go to courts even over the holding of elections,” he said.

With regard to crime in the country, the President said most sexual crimes against young females were committed by their kith and kin.Since this category of offences originated ‘at home’ sexual crime was a matter of concern for society. Sectors such as homes, civil society, educational institutions and even the media need to join hands in resolving the issue, besides the law being enforced strongly.

The President said the ongoing strike of university academics is a politically motivated one. "When an issue is politicised it cannot be easily resolved. This has happened with regard to this strike. They went in for the strike while having discussions with the authorities. If the decision is to strike then there is no need for talks.

”Today a senior academics salary is greater than that of a Supreme Court judge. However, the aim of the state is to arrive at a ‘win-win’ solution," he said.

The President said the state is working towards resolving the z-score linked problems. At present attention is being paid as to how the z score has affected students and how many have been affected. How these affected students could be helped is also being addressed. A report is in the process of being forwarded.

Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake pointed out that the salary demands of the striking Dons were unrealistic.

Going into details on the salaries received by the numerous categories of university lecturers, he pointed out that the Dons had over the past one and a half years received an 83 percent salary increase and that their salaries were higher than those of other public servants.

President Rajapaksa once again emphasised on democracy and freedom that exists within the ruling party. "Anyone was free to leave his government or join it.

The door is open either way," he said.It was a sigh of relief for some Ministers as the President had told the media heads that he had not thought of any Cabinet reshuffle to date.

On the issue of possible sabotage in the power sector, the President said that he is yet to receive any reports on it. He also said that action will be taken by the state against land-grabbing and encroachment. “We take action against any wrong-doing anywhere but when such action is taken we are accused of being dictatorial,” he said.

The President said the state expects the media to regulate itself on the basis of ethical principles. Mud-slinging websites need to be brought to book since they indulge in the freedom of the wild ass'. The victims of these errant websites are helpless because the websites are manipulated from abroad. Moreover, only civil defamation cases could be filed against these websites. But legal action needs to be taken against wrong-doers.

Olympic fever seems to have hit the local political platform as well. UNP parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatileke, addressing a media briefing last week, said that there is no doubt of Sri Lanka winning a gold medal.

Giving a political twist to the strength of the Sri Lanka contingent to London 2012 Olympic Games, Karunatillake said that a gold medal could be won on the ratio of competitors to officials.

"But, if it is to win this medal there must be provision for a new contest to be held to decide on the highest number of contestants and officials attending the event from each country. In that contest Sri Lanka will create a world record and win the gold medal," he said. He exclaimed that for the Olympics games in London, this time , as many as 30 officials accompanied just seven contestants.

But Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage hit back at critics and said that the Ministry had granted permission only to seven officials.

He said that a committee would be set up to investigate whether the Sri Lanka contingent now in London had officials who had not obtained permission from the Ministry.Rifle shooter Mangala Samarakoon, after his event at the London Olympics on Friday, had said that the Sri Lanka contingent did not have a single coach, attached to any sport, while there are many officials around.

The 31-year-old soldier said even the efforts of Army Commander to get his coach to London did not bear fruit. Samarakoon said he would have definitely done better if his coach had been on the spot.

Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa had said that he will not allow petty-minded politicians to benefit by harping on the ethnic issue.

“Petty politics shattered the harmony and peace which existed 30 years ago, among all communities be it from North or South. Now with terrorism being a thing of the past, those bonds, once wounded are getting stronger again”.

“We have gained nothing but loss from disharmony. It is unity, not ethnic division which will define our success”, he said, addressing a large group of rehabilitated LTTE ex-combatants and their families at Temple Trees. The event was organized to provide soft loans to socially re-integrate them and help them start their own ventures.

The loans up to a maximum of Rs.250,000 were provided through state banks, with government releasing an initial allocation of Rs.300 million for the purpose.

The President after distributing the cheques among the recipients, said the government has also released Rs.400 billion for development work in the north for the benefit of the public. He told the gathering that it was the government that took care of the people and not those from outside. He told them that the diaspora, whatever they say does not genuinely care about their needs.

Recalling the past, President Rajapaksa said 30 years ago, people from all communities lived in brotherhood both in the South and North “During in our school holidays we went on visits to the North. We shared our rooms with Tamil students from the North. We went together to the Temple and Kovil”. We had strong bonds, be it cultural, religious or otherwise. However, we lost all that. It is now time to rebuild that harmony we lost due to petty politics” he said.

He told the rehabilitated trainees that their childhood, youth, happiness had been lost due to the gun culture which they were forced to embrace. It was time for them to begin a new life with hope and vigour for a bright future.