Piliyandala: The Political World And Underworld
Rajan Hoole
Political Murders, the Commissions and the Unfinished Task – 10
On 18th May 1983, Jayewardene in a bid to show that the UNP was popular despite parliamentary elections not being held and to improve the ‘quality’ of his MPs, held bye- elections in 18 constituencies where the UNP had lost during the December 1982 Referendum. The Kesbewa electorate to the south-east of Colombo containing Piliyandala was one of these. The new contestant first proposed by the UNP was Srinal de Mel, the JSS secretary. This was turned down by the UNP working committee on the grounds that he was too unpopular. It was then Srinal de Mel who proposed Lokuge, his friend and businessman. Thus Lokuge came in as a protégé of the JSS bosses Cyril Mathew and de Mel. Lokuge was one of those who invested in Trincomalee in the wake of Mathew’s patriotic crusade, which held out good pickings for followers. Lokuge took over Welcombe Hotel and waxed eloquent in Parliament about the “Sinhalese banding themselves together” for defence during the June ’83 violence in Trincomalee (Sect.5.6).
Indeed, he had proved his mettle at the bye- election the previous month which was literally fought tooth and nail with the resources of the State, CTB buses, JSS goons and local thugs. His victory was phenomenal, polling 27,721 votes against 23,962 by his SLFP opponent Dickson Perera. The corresponding UNP and anti-UNP votes were 25,576 and 29,831 respectively at the presidential election and 21,487 and 25,061 respectively at the Referendum. This meant a turn-around by about 4000 voters in favour of the UNP. By comparison K. Jayakody of the UNP managed to achieve a turn-around of only about 1000 votes against Vijaya Kumaratunge at Mahara, in the heartland of the forces of Mathew and Wickremasinghe and after the abduction of 25 SLFP polling agents and the shooting of one supporter..Read More
