To Be Or Not To Be: Strategic Control Of The Northern Province
Veluppillai Thangavelu
Government desperate to strip Provincial Council powers before elections “To be or not to be”
is the famous opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In the soliloquy, Hamlet questions the meaning of life, and whether or not it is worthwhile to stay alive when life contains so many hardships. He comes to the conclusion that the main reason people stay alive is due to a fear of death and uncertainty at what lies beyond life.
Now the news comes that Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya had begun preparations to hold the Northern Provincial Council elections in September, although there is no official confirmation yet. Speaking further, Deshapriya said as of now the status quo regarding the registered voters would remain unless there is legislation to effect change to include a new voter list. On May 23, President’s spokesman Anura PriyadarshanaYapa, the Minister for Petroleum Industries, said that the NPC elections will be held in September and that any changes to 13A could only come after a broad public consultation. We also heard the President has given the go ahead instructing the Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris to hold the provincial elections. It is not understood what Foreign Minister has got to do with Provincial Elections when there is a Minister in charge of Local Government and Provincial Elections Mr. A. L. M. Athaullah. But then in Rajapaksa‘s domain strange things happen with an elephant size cabinet consisting of 54 Ministers, 10 senior Ministers and 2 Project Ministers totalling 66 Ministers (excludes one Deputy Minister who is also a Senior Minister) and 29 Deputy Ministers!