Will Uva Set The Proper Criterion For Present Political Trends?
By Upul Kumarapperuma -11 August 2014
Upul Kumarapperuma
An opinion is currently in the making that the results of the Uva Provincial Council elections would be decisive for future political trends of the country. The UPFA Government thinks that the victory margin of Uva PC elections will be instrumental in deciding the future political strategy and election strategy of their alliance, while opposition political parties also believe that the results of the Uva PC poll would be a key deciding factor for the future power transition in the island.
The issue is whether the Uva PC elections will be the pilot project for a regime change at the next national level election.
The exercising of one’s franchise at the forthcoming PC polls will then be considered as an expression of interest towards a specific political trend. The law which governs elections ensures the rights of holding free and fair elections. The definition of a “free and fair election” should be much broader than its literal meaning. The law states that the exercising of the Franchise should be free of inducement or interference or any other form of intimidation.
There are certain factors vital for exercising the franchise of a free society. However, some of these factors have not been taken into account to define the term “free and fair”.
The financial independence of a society or a person is a key factor in navigating the society or the person in a specific direction, and it is instrumental in negating the political dependent culture which is sustained by poverty. Financial independence is decided by certain factors, namely access to education, the smooth functioning of the state mechanism and consistency of the public policy and its implementation systems, opportunities for employment, industries and entrepreneurship, etc.
The Uva Province is categorized as an under-developed area and the levels of poverty, education and health are well below the standard index of the country. The income of the considerable percentage of the population of the province is less than US$ 2 per day, which is the poverty index introduced by the World Bank in 2005.
Agriculture is the main source of income in both Monaragala and Badulla districts. The Monaragala district is situated in the dry zone of the country and the annual rain fall of the area is limited to four months, namely September to January.
The factors essential for agriculture are water, land, fertilizer, labour and technology. Considering the Monaragala district, the first three key factors come directly under the control of the State.Read More
