Sarath’s Supporters’ Lonely Voices On The Anuradhapura- Vavuniya Road

By R. Wijewardene in Vavuniya

Poonewa is a lonely place. 200 kilometers from Colombo this dusty strip of bicycle repair shops and vegetable stalls is the final Sinhala frontier.  The last Buddhist bastion before the overwhelmingly Tamil north.

Cut off from the country by check points and road closures, the towns on the A9 between Anuradhapura and Vavuniya have long felt isolated and cut off from the rest of the country, but for Leela Kuruvita, Poonewa is a particularly lonely place.  “It is only me here who supports Fonseka.” Questioned as to why she has departed from the orthodox view she replies passionately and at length.

“Most people here will vote for Mahinda because he finished the war. But I don’t think that’s enough.  He has no plans for the economy and there is so much corruption. In the end its ordinary people like me and my family who suffer from the government’s theft. Fonseka is from the army, he’s a disciplined man and I think he will bring the change that will take this country forward.”

Leela’s commitment to the General’s cause is more than just talk, her shop is decorated with the rainbow flags of Sarath’s coalition. A picture of her hero is displayed proudly at the entrance and a giant cut out has been installed on the roof — it looks for all the world like a party office.

“Both my sons are in the army, they are 100% behind the General. He is the man who won the war and he  is the only man who can  lead us to a prosperous future.”
Leela’s  commitment to the General’s cause is absolute and the arguments she presents in his favour are well articulated. But from the expressions of bemused indulgence visible on her customers’ faces as she launched into another speech on the General’s virtues it was clear that hers is a minority position.   Various passers by and patrons shake their heads at her criticism of the Rajapaksas’ corruption,  but  they seem happy to tolerate her position treating it as a sort of harmless eccentricity.

For all Leela’s efforts however, the rest of the town is a solid sea of blue. So is virtually every other village between Anuradhapura and Vavuniya.  These Sinhala frontier villages suffered years of isolation and violence but Mahinda’s rule has brought security, development and the opening of the A9; few therefore can think of reasons to vote for anyone other than Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“This used to be a frontier we suffered for 30 years. We couldn’t leave our homes after 6. There were murders. Now we can live in peace.  People now travel freely on the A9 and that is good for business. There has been so much progress in so little time. It has changed our lives and it is all thanks to Mahinda,” explained Kamal Gurusinghe, manager of the largest tractor dealership in Medawachchiya, summing up the orthodox view.

The wizened attendant at a bedraggled tea shop in Elawaka was even more assertive.
“The President is a hero. It is our duty to show  our gratitude to him. We lived through years of war, my son was injured by a land mine, but the President  has put an end to all this. He has brought freedom and development to all the country’s people. We don’t just want him to win this election — we want him to rule for a 1000 years,” said the former municipal worker  throwing  his fist into the air for extra  emphasis.

Some of the teashop’s customers didn’t appear to share in the old man’s enthusiasm but in the face of such devotion none seemed willing to raise a dissenting voice. And that is a recurring problem. On the streets, at bus stands, shops and markets the loudest voices are invariably in support of Mahinda.  That doesn’t mean there’s no support for Fonseka but as his supporters seem keen to keep a low profile its hard to gauge their numbers.
However away from intensely public spaces like bus stands people are sometimes more willing to express disaffection with the government.

“We were in favour of Mahinda but the current level of corruption, this family rule is just too much.  Mahinda  was a good man but now he  has become too arrogant and corrupt. Look at the violence he has unleashed on opposition supporters – people are scared to even express an opinion. That isn’t how this country should be,” explained  Rahula Thero, the chief priest of a small temple just south of Vavuniya.  Still the majority of the people we encountered expressed support for the man from Beliatte.

Surprisingly, even a group of young Tamil men lounging under the awning of the main Vavuniya bus stand  were vocal in their support for Mahinda.

“Fonseka said in the past that Sri Lanka is for the Sinhalese. He may be saying something else now but we don’t trust him. How can a man who killed so many Tamils now say he supports Tamil rights?  We will vote for Mahinda. He is not perfect but at least he put an end to the war.”

The majority of Vavuniya’s Tamils however appear to be less sceptical of the General’s change of heart.    “We are for the General,” said a group of teachers outside the Tamil Maha Vidyalaya. “He will bring change and unity to the country.”

Asked if they felt Fonseka’s previously chauvinistic statement had reduced his credibility with Tamil voters, the women responded, “He has the support of the TNA. That wouldn’t be possible if as when he spoke before, it was as part of the government. Now he is independent, we are confident he will deliver on his promises.”

A large number of Tamils however preferred not to express an opinion. The heavy army presence and fragile ethnic balance in the surrounding area perhaps dissuaded them from open criticism of the government. In Vavuniya town’s gleaming new Cargills supermarket, opinion was divided  starkly  along ethnic lines.  “We are from the south.

Now we have jobs working in development projects here, and that is because of the President. Just a year ago it would have been too dangerous for us to work here, now we can move freely around the country for the first time in our lives. Some people complain about the economy but the war has only been over for eight  months. You can see the road and everything in this area has already got better and if the President remains in office   things  will continue to improve,”  was the verdict of a group of Sinhala surveyors  employed by the Road Development Authority.

Many Tamil shoppers however preferred to remain silent. Sivakumar, the shop’s young security guard however was vocal in his criticism of the present state of affairs.  “We have had Mahinda for five years. We know he doesn’t have the interests of the Tamils at heart. The last five years have been terrible for Tamils — so many people lost family members, thousands disappeared or were herded into camps. We can’t let such a man continue to rule us, all the Tamils in this area are for Sarath, for change.”

Those working at party offices in the area acknowledged this ethnic divide.  “The Sinhalese in the area support Mahinda because they were affected by the conflict and are overjoyed to have peace. They see so much development and progress, they would never vote for anyone else. Of course the Tamils  are less supportive but we believe  we can win them over,” enthused Asela Maddumage, a long time SLFP supporter manning the Rajapaksa campaign’s Vavuniya party office.

Of course canvassers at Fonseka’s diminutive office in Iratperiyakulum were equally confident of mass support and victory.

“The Tamil people are with us. Not just here but in all the surrounding villages and in Mannar too, also there is a silent minority of Sinhalese who are fed up. They may not be vocal but  they speak  to us and we know we can win.”

Both sides of course claimed that victory for their candidates was assured but it was it was only Leela, Fonseka’s faithful supporter in Poonewa who raised the most important issue.

“Who ever wins needs to make sure that supporters of the other side feel included. The country cannot be divided anymore. So the most important thing is to compromise, accept other opinions and to encourage unity.  My view might be different but here in Poonewa people accept my position. I only hope the rest of the country can be like this.”

And whether you share her views on Fonseka or not it is hard to disagree with her final statement. And the fact that a lone woman in a remote village is able to raise her voice loudly against the prevailing view should remain a symbol of hope.

Votes for ex-combatants
Additional Vavuniya GA, N. Thirugnaanasampanther said ex-combatants in the rehabilitation camps would be allowed to vote. 2258 ex-soldiers have registered to vote as displaced people, Thirugnaanasampanther said. Police and army forces will be on hand to secure the facility. The IDPs will be allowed to vote at cluster polling stations in the camps.

The Additional GA confirmed that those who had registered in the camps and subsequently resettled would probably have to travel back to the camp to vote. “We will provide 20 buses operating to and from the camps,” he said.

Around 30,000 resettled people in Jaffna and the Wanni received polling cards allowing them to vote in a different place than their hometown. In addition, Thirugnaanasampanther said the disparity in numbers between the people left in the camps (some 70,000) and those registered to vote (30,000) amounted to various factors, one being that many inhabitants weren’t eligible to vote.

“Around 40% of the IDPs are either children, or elderly,” the Additional GA said. He added that there had not been enough publicity on the importance of registering to vote by June 30. Subsequently many had shown no interest in registering and this too contributed to the disparity.

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2. Why I’m Voting For Sarath Fonseka On January 26th, I’ll cast my vote for Sarath Fonseka. I’m voting against Mahinda, but I’ve also found real reasons to vote for Sarath. I...

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