Post elections assurances:

Focus on development

By P. Krishnaswamy

The Sunday Observer interviewed a cross-section of the members elected in the September 8 polls to the Eastern and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils.

They represent UPFA constituents - the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) led by Minister Rishad Bathuideen, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party led by Ranjith Navaratne and the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) led by Minister Arumugan Thondaman - the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by R. Sampanthan and the Opposition UNP. All of them said that their future activities will be focused on development activities in their provinces and they would insist on allotment of enhanced funds for such development activities.

Excerpts of the interviews: M.S. Subair, a former Minister in the last Eastern PC, who represents the Batticaloa district from the ACMC: We have been UPFA allies from the inception and we will remain so always in the future as well. In keeping with President Mahinda Rajapaksa's commitment, our main focus will be building up amity and brotherhood among all three communities. Accelerated development for the province is second on our agenda. We will also insist on the need for devolution of more powers to the PC. Ours will be policy-based politics for fulfilling the aspirations of our people and not 'demands-based politics'. We stand by the President and will not have anything to do with the TNA which insists on the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces.

The province which has been lagging behind for several decades in development due to LTTE terrorism and anti-terrorism operations now needs enhanced fund allocations for development. Livelihood facilities for the affected people, housing and infrastructure are primary requirements and we will concentrate our functions on these matters as well.

Govindan Karunakaran, former parliamentarian, representing the TNA from the Batticaloa district: We will primarily use the Provincial Council as a forum to fight for the political rights of our people. We will demand a just political solution to the Tamils' problem and also adequate measures to restore their homes and properties that were destroyed in the long drawn out conflict and compensation.

We will campaign for the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces. Livelihood and all infrastructure facilities for the Tamil-speaking people (including the Muslims), the release of all political prisoners kept in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA) and disbandment and discontinuation of all colonised settlements of outsiders in the Tamil areas will also form the main focus of our future activities in the Eastern PC.

Krishnapillai Thurairajasingham, Attorney-at-Law and former parliamentarian, representing the TNA from the Batticaloa district: Although the turnout and the voting pattern was not up to the expectations of our party, the TNA victory is a progressive achievement. I would say that the people voted amidst an atmosphere of 'shadow terrorism'.

Irrespective of who will form the PC administration, our focus and activities will be parallel on two issues. We will take advantage of the support we got in the province for achieving a just political solution to the Tamils' problems. We will also engage ourselves intensely on fulfilling the anticipations of our people. Our party will formulate the necessary plans for fulfilling their anticipations and needs and will engage in ways and means of obtaining and generating funds for the purpose within the scope of the legal framework. We will make every effort to ensure the proper utilisation of funds meant for development activities and that the benefits reach the people.

Our programs under the PC activities will include regular consultative meetings with the people, discussions, visits to different areas and interactions with the people.

Chandradasa Galappathy, a former parliamentarian representing the UNP in the Eastern PC from Ampara District: Primarily the PC system was formulated for the Northern and Eastern provinces under the 13th Amendment which, in turn, was a sequel to the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord of 1987. But the PC was not functioning in the North and the East for over 20 years while it was functioning in the other provinces where it was not required.

In the Eastern province it started functioning only 4 years ago. But the Council was dissolved even before the full term of five years were over and fresh polls were held. I think that it is wastage of money.

The money could have been invested in the ongoing development programs and the polls held after the full term of the Council.

The East is a province that is lagging behind the other provinces in the development sphere because of the long drawn out terrorism and the counter operations.

It is a vast area with natural resources providing the potential for generating funds. These are areas that should be considered for exploration and exploitation while the central government should also consider allotment of enhanced funds for all development activities. All PCs are now with the ruling UPFA and they have no reasons whatsoever in strictly limiting allotment of funds for development works. Much development programs need to be implemented in the spheres of health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and housing.

G.M. Karunapala, former Minister of Social Welfare, Probation and Child Care of Sabaragamuwa PC, representing the SLMP from the Ratnapura District. The clear message from the people after the September 8 polls to the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern PCs is that all three communities are with the Government and they support the development programs quite ignoring all negative pictures which the opposition political parties tried to portray in the run up to the polls. An overall 60 percent voter turnout is an indication that the people look up to the PCs for development and welfare activities in respect of the local communities.

Kanapathypillai Ramachandran, CWC member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council: The CWC is a UPFA constituent and, as such, we will form part of the Sabaragamuwa PC administration of the UPFA. The Tamil people did not have any representation in the previous PC administrations and this time we have two Councillors, one from the Kagalle District and one (myself) from the Ratnapura district. The plantation community in the Sabaragamuwa province encounter various problems.

There is no Tamil high school imparting education in the important streams that are needed for higher studies. So our first focus will be on providing facilities for a Tamil high school with all the required building, equipment, teachers and all facilities. We will also focus on health, infrastructure and employment opportunities for the youth from the plantations who have received higher education. A majority of the plantation estates are intermingled with villages and there have been communal tensions in the past.

While taking measures to promote communal harmony and goodwill between the communities, we will also take steps to provide security in the trouble prone areas with assistance from Ministers Arumugan Thondaman, Muthu Sivalingam and the parliamentarians and Ministers representing the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts.