Results of polls will shape Govt. policy on vital issues
There is little doubt that victory is on hand for the ruling coalition in at least Sabaragamuwa and the North Central provinces. Whilst a similar win cannot be ruled out in the Eastern Province, there is also the strong likelihood of a hung council with a strong edge for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The plum in the three polls yesterday is the one for the East. Barring the predominantly Tamil speaking north, the only other area in the country with a large minority concentration is the East. The voter strength is divided roughly in equal parts of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. That it is the first polls after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas over three years ago adds significance because the Government’s reconciliation efforts are yet to get under way. A convincing victory there could be interpreted also as an endorsement of UPFA policy on Tamil issues. In equal measure, a defeat would deliver a different message.
By Our Political Editor
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While, UPFA and UNP candidates were battling it out at the provincial council elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were having a friendly conversation at Gangaramaya yesterday when they visited the temple for the exposition of the sacred Kapilavastu relics. Pic by Romesh Danushka
The UPFA government’s popularity, both in Sri Lanka and abroad, will be measured today by an unusual yardstick — the outcome of yesterday’s polls for Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern Provincial Councils.
The main thrust of the government has been to demonstrate, both here and to the outside world, that despite criticism on a multitude of issues, the UPFA continues to enjoy the confidence of the people. Towards this end, the alliance’s seven-week campaign, where an entire cabinet of ministers had been deployed, was to ensure that it win a larger volume of votes, perhaps higher than previous polls.
There is little doubt that victory is on hand for the ruling coalition in at least Sabaragamuwa and the North Central provinces. Whilst a similar win cannot be ruled out in the Eastern Province, there is also the strong likelihood of a hung council with a strong edge for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The plum in the three polls yesterday is the one for the East. Barring the predominantly Tamil speaking north, the only other area in the country with a large minority concentration is the East. The voter strength is divided roughly in equal parts of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. That it is the first polls after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas over three years ago adds significance because the Government’s reconciliation efforts are yet to get under way. A convincing victory there could be interpreted also as an endorsement of UPFA policy on Tamil issues. In equal measure, a defeat would deliver a different message.
A hung council will naturally mean a lot of political horse trading. With the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), an alliance partner of the UPFA, fielding its own candidates, the issue could become more contentious. Many questions arise. Will the SLMC back the UPFA or choose to close ranks with the TNA in forming a council? On the other hand, will the SLMC relent and make amends with the UPFA? The polls campaign has seen some bloody clashes with government backers engaging SLMC factions in cut throat battles. The bitterness of the UPFA leadership was reflected by Minister Dullas Allahapperuma. He declared publicly that his ministerial colleague and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said one thing to the cabinet and another to voters in the East. He was alluding to Hakeem’s remarks that some mosques had come under attack under the UPFA Government, a charge which President Mahinda Rajapaksa bluntly refuted during the polls campaign in Muslim-dominated Kinniya in the Trincomalee district. The polls outcome in the East notwithstanding, Hakeem’s own political future with the UPFA also becomes a critical issue.
