Economics Of Northern Province And The Way Forward
Hema Senanayake
For the Northern Province (NP) we have a provincial council now. In 2012, the GDP share of NP is 4% but has the highest provincial GDP growth. In the year 2012 NP’s nominal GDP grew by 25.9%. The nominal GDP means the GDP at current prices and in 2012 the country’s nominal GDP grew by 15.9% whereas the real term GDP adjusted for inflation grew by 6.4%. This GDP growth was before the election of NPC. Therefore, these basic statistics set the annual overall statistical targets that NPC has to achieve with the support of the Central Government. In other words NPC has to ensure higher GDP growth rate than the national average at least for another few years until the province is rebounded economically. People’s expectations are huge and NPC must not make excuses saying that its powers are limited.
Sooner, the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) will swear in the most accomplished Chief Minister in the whole provincial council system. Of course there is a political battle that has to be fought with the Central Government in regard to the powers of NPC. But my view is that the most immediate necessity is to meet the expectations of the people in terms of development in all spears of economic activity.
True, that powers of provincial councils are limited and the Center has to provide the most of funds for provincial councils and now NPC is one of them. If the center does not like the NPC then funds will be limited and funds will come later than needed. This conflict of political interest will possibly have bad economic impact which has already been noticed by the designate Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. But, Wigneswaran clearly said his council would have dialogues with the Centre to get the benefits for the council. In view of the high expectations of the people, I would suggest Wigneswarant o have a dialogue with the Center in order to make a policy shift, which I describe below in this article, in handling the matters of economics.
Of Aspirations, Referenda And Realities
Malinda Seneviratne
Politicians and political parties don’t go before the people with a single promise, they offer bags of goodies. Voters don’t think collectively. Some vote for one promise, others for another. Typically, also, they vote for one thing and get something that was not promised nor envisaged. And then there’s the ‘by default’ factor that dominates voter thinking; people vote against parties and candidates and they often go for lesser evils. Consequently, we get winners and losers, with the former manufacturing ‘mandate’ according to whim and fancy. So it has been and so it will be, be it local government elections, provincial elections or major national elections.
The focus, naturally, will be on the Northern Provincial Council Elections, being held for the first time. Given that this is the second time that the Tamil National Alliance goes before the people of the province, the results could be read in terms of gains and losses. More importantly, this election will be colored also by TNA rhetoric which includes the resurrection of the chauvinistic Vadukkoddai Resolution that painted the unattainable as possible spurring Tamil youth to armed insurrection. It also all but buried any faith the Sinhalese may have had in Tamil parties like the TULF as decent, reasonable and honest partners in discussions on grievances and aspirations.
For these reasons, a landslide win for the TNA will be read as a vote for Eelam by that party and other intent on carving a separate state as well as spoilers who desire political instability in Sri Lanka. A lesser result would be read by those opposed to the TNA as evidence of a divided Tamil polity. Read More
