Vote To Send A Message To The World About The Problems In The North: Commission For Justice And Peace Of The Jaffna Diocese

September 13, 2013

The people of the north should vote at the September 21 Provincial Council election in order to send a clear message to the Government and the world about the issues faced by people of the region, including the ongoing militarisation and lack of progress on numerous cases of custodial deaths, sexual abuse and disappearances, a Catholic organisation has urged.

Jaffna Bishop Thomas Soundaranayagam

Citing a long list of problems faced by the people of the north and revealing insights about the Government’s election incentives, the President of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Jaffna Diocese, Fr. S.V.B. Margalarajah said not voting would indicate that the people of the area were not too disturbed by the current state of affairs in the North.

“The development projects such as carpet-roads. railway-tracks etc are only secondary,” the President said in a statement.

He said the only way to highlight the problems of the people was to exercise the right to vote. “Refraining from voting and voting carelessly will only help the ruling government party to secure some seals for them to show the world the people in the North are beginning to give their approval to the government for their development work as well as for their other works in the past” Fr. Mangalarajah said.

Bishop of Jaffna Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam is the patron of the Commission.

Following is the full text of the priest’s statement:

Voting is a basic right of every citizen. The general public in the North of Sri Lanka had not shown much interest in any election in the last few decades. In this background the Provincial Council election is being held after a long gap on the 2lst of September 2013. It is generally felt that the Sri Lankan Government decided to conduct this election due mainly to pressure placed by her donor countries. If we consider the importance of this election have to say this is not going to solve the basic problems faced by our people- There will not be a meaningful devolution of power to the Provincial-Council in the North. The Government ruling party which has won comfortably in the other Provinces realize very well that it will not be able to win the election the Northern Province and has hinted that there will not be much of devolution of power in the basic sectors. Hence we cannot foresee that the upcoming Provincial-Council will not be able to exercise much power.

However this election is being observed by all and especially by the international Community carefully. The Government ruling party though not able to win, will try to secure substantial number of votes and show the world that the people in the North are beginning to appreciate their development work such as carpet-roads. railway tracks, the proposed express-highway, new buildings for schools, hospitals, markets etc. The Government party candidates with the direct and indirect support of the security forces and other state machinery are hence involved in wide-spread election law, violations. Some of which are:Read More