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WP Elections

All set for the plum PC poll

People waiting to cast their vote at an election booth

By Nirmala Kannangara

With just six days to go for the key Western Provincial Council elections and four days to draw the curtains on election campaigning, all the contesting parties are in full swing to convince the masses as to why they should vote for them. However, although the election campaign began on a peaceful note a few weeks ago, it has now proved otherwise as reports of intimidations and assaults flood in from the Colombo District according to election monitors.

According to the ruling party candidates, internal battles have become a threat to their campaign work while the opposition candidates are accusing the ruling party of intimidation and assaults on their supporters, and of misuse of public property for election campaigning. Even the Police Department has been held responsible for the escalating violence in the district since the police have failed to take action against those who are either connected with or responsible for the violence.

"The SLMC election meeting which was scheduled to be held in Hulftsdorp on Wednesday had to be cancelled due to threats received by one of our candidates. He has received many telephone calls not to hold any meetings in the area and that his family members would be kidnapped if he did," said SLMC National Organiser and Parliamentarian Shafeek Rajabdeen.

Cancelled meeting

"Since these threats cannot be taken lightly, I immediately cancelled the meeting," Rajabdeen told The Sunday Leader. According to Rajabdeen his party has not lodged a complaint with the police since 'nothing would come out of such a complaint' as the Police Department has been politicised.

"Even if we made a complaint, the police would ask us who the caller was, and many other questions that cannot be answered. As a result we did not want to waste time going to police stations and would rather take precautionary measures to protect our candidates," Rajabdeen said.

He further said that he had informed the Elections Commissioner of this situation and had sought police protection for the candidates similar to the security provided in the Eastern Province and was awaiting a favourable reply.

Meanwhile Colombo District UPFA candidate Hector Bethmage accused his own party members and supporters for the attack on him recently and told The Sunday Leader that there are internal conflicts within the camp for the preferential vote.

Infighting

"The more there are internal fights the more we will fail in our campaign work. I know the people who assaulted me, but still I could not reveal the names as it would badly hamper the UPFA Colombo District election campaign at the last moment," said Bethmage.

Misuse of public property too is on the rise and according to the UNP although this was brought to the notice of the relevant officers nothing has been done to prevent the misuse. "Since the government knew that winning the Western Provincial Council was difficult, considering the fact that unlike the other provinces, the voters in the Western Province cannot be easily duped, the WPC was dissolved with the intention of winning using the maximum strength of the government.

"Those who were in the previous provincial council have not returned their vehicles and all these vehicles together with the whole government machinery is being used in the Colombo District to win the election. Although this was intimated to the Elections Commissioner nothing has been done so far, and in this backdrop there is a question whether the election would be free and fair," UNP Spokesperson and Parliamentarian Gayantha Karunathilake said. As things are it is a no holds barred contest for the plum provincial council.

I will teach the police to be effective like the three forces
- UPFA candidate for Colombo District, Dr. T.C. Rajaratnam

Accusing Tamil militants of being responsible for abductions, assassinations, and humiliation of the minorities, UPFA candidate Dr. T.C. Rajaratnam told The Sunday Leader that he was the only Tamil of Jaffna origin to contest the WPC under the UPFA banner.

"Once elected to the WPC there is much work to be done to address the issues faced by the people in the province irrespective of their ethnicity. We have hard work ahead. I and my colleagues cannot rest till we fulfil our pledges. We are citizens of a great country. No nation whose people are narrow in thought or action can be great. We should not succumb to the dark impulses that lurk in the far regions of the soul," added Dr. Rajaratnam.

He further said that he would give priority to bringing down the escalating crime rate in the province and would work to disarm the militants and teach the police to be effective like the army, air force and navy.

"New regulations should be introduced to protect children from being sold as sex slaves who would become a great threat to society. We must introduce a proper healthcare system for the senior citizens and also give a proper education to our future generation through the PC," Dr. Rajaratnam said.

Allegations levelled against me are baseless
- it is the work of my own party - Hector Bethmage

A former minister in the WPC, Hector Bethmage is confident of being the UPFA's CM in the WPC. He said there was no other suitable contestant to hold the office of CM in his party.

"I have never mesmerised the voters with false promises. I always promise what I can do and have done yeoman service to the people in the district. I am positive of getting the most number of votes from the district and will carry out the good work of the previous WPC to provide a better service to the people," he added.

Refuting allegations levelled against him of bribery, corruption and violence, Bethmage told The Sunday Leader that his hands were clean and said all this was 'the work' of his own party candidates, who have found it difficult to contest with him.

"Recently I was attacked by goons from our own party and it is they who are levelling allegations against me to discredit my name in the run up to the election. I will continue to strengthen the educational and health sectors in the province and will work tirelessly to provide a better service and uplift the living standards of the people in the province," Bethmage added.

Tamil education has to be improved
- UNP affiliate, Democratic People's Front (DPF) candidate Prabha Ganesan

According to Prabha Ganesan, Tamil education in the province has to be improved as the previous WPC regime has failed to provide the necessary facilities to the Tamil schools in the province.

"Lack of teachers, buildings and other facilities has resulted in a situation inimical to the students and unless immediate action is taken to provide these facilities to the Tamil schools they are sure to face a grave situation," Ganesan told The Sunday Leader.

According to him the health care system in the province too has to be improved as most of the hospitals do not have medicine and medical staff needed to provide a better service.

Provincial schools would be brought to a proper standard
- Chief SLMC candidate, Abdul Hai

Chief candidate of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Abdul Hai told The Sunday Leader that the education sector had to be uplifted as the standard of the provincial schools had come down alarmingly.

"I have been in the WPC for the past five years and have seen how the previous regime interfered with the education sector and deliberately brought down the standard of the schools," said Hai.

Hai said that due to a shortage of teachers in schools in the district he had to employ teachers to the schools.

"Not only I was able to donate school equipment to schools that were in dire need but employed seven teachers to meet the shortage of teachers. It is the sole responsibility of the PC to provide the necessary facilities to schools and if I am elected once again I will work towards the betterment of the education sector while health care issues in the province too would be addressed," Hai said.

Houses for the valiant soldiers - UNP Colombo District Leader Lakshman Abeygunaratne

Claiming he would be the next chief minister of the Western Province after the April 25 Provincial Council (PC) election, Lakshman Abeygunaratne told The Sunday Leader that since he was an honest politician who had never hoodwinked the voters, he was confident of wining with a majority in the district.

"I have worked as chairman in many government institutions before taking to active politics, and I have never drawn a salary. I worked for the upliftment of the living standards of the masses. I am a politician who has declared my assets and being an optometrist by profession I have distributed spectacles to the needy with my own wealth," added Abeygunaratne.

He further said that maintaining discipline in the next council would be his forte and added that he would work against bribery and corruption.

"I will work to uplift the education and health sectors in the province and also allocate special funds for 500 houses per year for the valiant soldiers. With regard to safeguarding the environment I will urge the central government to impose a 200% tax on non-degradable polythene and work towards creating an environmental friendly society," Abeygunaratne said.

My fight against bribery and corruption will not
be limited to words - Srinath Perera

UNP candidate for the WPC Srinath Perera told The Sunday Leader that his priorities if elected to the WPC were to uplift the education and health sectors and also the road network in the province as all the three sectors had been badly neglected under the previous regime.

"The previous WPCs failed to develop the schools and hospitals that came under PC and they utilised the funds allocated for the development work for political extravaganzas.

I will raise a voice against bribery and corruption and will even take action against those who violate the law, be it from other parties or my own camp. I will also declare my assets to the last cent as I did when I was attached to the Attorney General's Department," Perera said.

A vote for me is a vote for the battle against media suppression,
bad economic policies and dictatorship - A.J.M. Muzammil

Accusing the ruling party of failing to safeguard the lives of media personalities that raised a voice against the government, UNP candidate A.J.M. Muzammil told The Sunday Leader that he would fight against the alarming dictatorship once elected to the council.

"My first priority would be to fight against the mismanagement of funds by the previous PC and I would also find a permanent solution to the garbage problem in the district. Education and health sectors too need to be streamlined. I would also introduce new vocational programmes for youth to give them a better chance in finding good employment," Muzammil said.

According to Muzammil all the three communities should work together for a better tomorrow. He added that he would work against bribery, corruption and wastage in the council so that the funds could be utilised for the development of the district.

Education and health sectors will be developed
- SLMC candidate Hassen Shareef

Hassen Shareef, a former Galle Municipal Council Member now contesting for the WPC, told The Sunday Leader that unless the education system is uplifted the country in general would not be able to move forward.

"If I am elected to the WPC my first priority would be to work towards the development of the education and health sectors that come under the provincial administration. I am also ready to raise a voice for the peace process and also provide the necessary facilities to schools to give a basic education to the people irrespective of race," Shareef said.

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