4 Friday 9th May, 2008 Eastern Provincial Council Elections TMVP in polls overshadow all issues by Shamindra Ferdinando 982,721 are eligible to vote for 35 pronged assault on Sampur. ly vote for the government-TMVP representatives. The winning Of the 1,419,602 population, Subsequently the forces wrested combine as they had benefited he entry of the breakaway party would receive two bonus Verugal, Kadiraweli, Vakarai, immensely. Only a madman LTTE faction to main- seats. The 37-member Council 982,721 are eligible to vote for 35 Thoppihala-Narakkanmulla, wouldn’t see the rapid develop- Tstream politics and its deci- would comprise 14 representa- Kandalkadu (Muttur west), ments taking place in the East in sion to contest the first ever elec- tives from Ampara, 11 from representatives. The winning party Kadawana and Peraru. the immediate aftermath of the tion to the Eastern Provincial Batticaloa and 10 from would receive two bonus seats. The navy in September 2006 liberation of the Eastern Council on the government ticket Trincomalee. thwarted an attempt by the LTTE Province, Rajapaksa said. The is the hottest issue in the May 10 The 37-member Council would to bolster its firepower. Had the voters couldn’t be deceived by the election. Gota on govt strategy comprise 14 representatives from floating arsenal escaped detection Opposition as they had experi- The unprecedented relation- Defence Secretary Gotabhaya about 120 nautical miles off enced unprecedented freedom ship between President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the critics had Ampara, 11 from Batticaloa and Kalmunai the LTTE would have under government control, he Rajapaksa’s government and the conveniently forgotten the 10 from Trincomalee. received a major boost, the offi- said. The Opposition tends to for- Eastern Tigers, styling them- ground situation in the Eastern cial said. get the TMVP, Karuna faction, selves as the TMVP (Thamil Province when the LTTE The Opposition has also Pilleyan group or whatever you Makkal Viduthalai Puligal), over- launched major ground attacks sought to undermine the govern- called it, comprised of Batticaloa shadows other issues as the UNP- on Muttur, Kattaparichchan and He predicted the successful con- forcibly taken Paduman, the ment-TMVP campaign by causing and Ampara youth who survived SLMC combine and the JVP tar- surrounding areas in the first clusion of the poll would hasten official said. The navy had a rift between the TMVP and M. the war due to Karuna’s timely get the government for accepting week of August 2006. Although what he called overall collapse of observed the scene from a L. A. M. Hisbullah over the split, he said. And they and their the rebel group’s right to retain security forces had repulsed the LTTE now struggling on the nearby post, the official said appointment of the first Chief families wouldn’t want the arms. these attacks, the LTTE mounted Jaffna and Vanni fronts. asserting that had Karuna Minister of the Eastern Province. return of the LTTE to the East or a political alliance friendly to the JVP attacks India Vanni faction capturing the In fact, the JVP has gone a Eastern Provincial Council, he step further by asserting the gov- asserted. ernment-TMVP marriage had the A political analyst said SLMC blessings of New Delhi. JVP MP leader Rauf Hakeem Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Digamadulla District) and two attributed this to New Delhi’s SLMC National List MPs Basheer desire to ensure an electoral vic- Segudawood (appointed through tory for the govt-TMVP combine. UNP list) and M. T. Hasen Ali He also said a victory for the quit Parliament to contest the UNP-SLMC combine would bring election on the UNP ticket as the Tigers back to the East while they quite correctly recognised expressing the opinion that only the formidable challenge posed the JVP could take tangible Basil Gotabhaya Jayalath Anura Sarath Nimal by the government-TMVP com- action for the benefit of the bine. The SLMC also had to give Easterners. up its long standing position that a coordinated assault on received the support of But the government has won the nomination of Muslim candi- UNP cries foul Trincomalee targeting the strate- Abduction of Paduman Paduman, the liberation of the agreement from both the TMVP dates would be their sole right. UNP MP Dr. Jayalath gic navy base, Muhamalai front Had the previous govern- Eastern Province would have and Hisbullah who quit the SLMC Former Commandant of the Jayawardena accused the govern- line and some of the Jaffna ment thwarted the LTTE plan been an easier task. to contest the election on the gov- STF DIG Nimal Lewke said the ment of depending on an armed islands in the second week of to abduct self styled Colonel Although Karuna directed his ernment ticket that the party commandos played a critical role group to promote its interests in August. Had the LTTE succeeded, Paduman, the senior leader in cadres to return home in the sec- which secured the highest num- in resettling thousands of fami- the Eastern Province. He asserted it would have caused an irrevoca- charge of cadres deployed in ond week of April, 2004 as he did- ber of seats would be given the lies displaced due to fighting in that the political marriage ble setback, he said. The May 10 the Trincomalee district in the n’t want a bloody battle with Chief Ministerial post. President the East. He said it had been a between the government and the election would never have been first week of March 2004, the Batticaloa cadres sent from the Mahinda Rajapaksa on a live difficult task achieved in the face TMVP despite the latter being possible had the government suc- collapse of the LTTE would Vanni to suppress the rebellion, political programme on SLRC of overwhelming problems. In armed had set an extremely dan- cumbed to the LTTE (Vanni fac- have been faster, a navy offi- he deployed experienced units in Tuesday asserted the agreement fact, the resettlement programme gerous precedent. The MP said tion) after Karuna’s split in cial said. According to him, support of the army and navy. to offer the post of the Chief spearheaded by the STF had won their relationship had placed all March 2004. He expressed regret the LTTE had used an SLAF Karuna loyalists played a critical Minister to the party with the admiration from even the inter- other parties contesting the elec- the Opposition parties’ refusal to chopper to forcibly remove role in action against the LTTE highest number of seats would be national community, he said. tion in a difficult position while appreciate the liberation of the Paduman from Sampur after and their help security forces to reasonable arrangement. The Army Commander Lt. giving an undue advantage to the Eastern Province and ongoing Karuna declined to report to thwart clandestine operations. A President attacked the Opposition General Sarath Fonseka said the ruling coalition. Fielding ques- efforts to restore civil administra- Kilinochchi along with case in point was the recovery of for demanding the disarming of LTTE couldn’t take on any major tions, Jayawardena who recently tion in the region. Paduman. The Kilinochchi a truck carrying over 1000 kgs of the TMVP while seeking a negoti- security forces or police target in had a meeting with a top TMVP The Defence Secretary said leadership after being alerted high explosives by the navy in ated settlement between the gov- the East. “They ma hit an isolat- representative in Batticaloa, the country should welcome the to the possibility of Karuna Trincomalee, the official said. ernment and the LTTE. ed security post or trigger a clay- accused police and armed forces TMVP’s decision to contest the and Paduman joining hands After repulsing LTTE’s more mine blast but do not have of turning a blind eye to what he May 10 election after its success had sent self styled Colonel August 2006 offensive the govern- Basil confident the wherewithal to undertake a called TMVP’s terror tactics. at local government election in Swarnam to Sampur on the ment launched its own campaign Basil Rajapaksa, MP, said the major operation,” he told The Of the 1,419,602 population, the Batticaloa district in March. SLAF chopper and then in September with a multi Easterners would overwhelming- Island. Govt. trying to appoint Unlike 1988, this a terrorist as chief election won’t be on communal minister – Dayasiri Jayasekera Kurunegala district UNP par- chief minister? to have a UNP controlled provincial liamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera, A. The issue here is not about the council. The government on the other lines – M.H.Hisbulla who was in the Sinhala and Tamil chief minister being Muslim, Sinhala hand is trying to have a terrorist areas of the Digamadulla district or Tamil, but the appointment of a made chief minister. These were the campaigning for the UNP, speaks UNP chief minister. Historically, our people who murdered 32 bhikkus at With less than 48 hours to go before allowed to vote according to their con- to C. A. Chandraprema on the party has worked for the unity of the Arantalawa, and chopped to bits 53 voting began for the eastern province science? campaign and the prospects of the Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims. The civilians at Gonagala. Who will vote elections, C. A. Chandraprema spoke to A. Of course. UNP. UNP still follows a policy of safe- for such people? While thus having a UPFA candidate M.H.Hisbulla about the Q. The speculation in UNP circles is that Q. You have been campaigning for guarding the unity between the vari- terrorist as their chief ministerial campaign and the prospects of the the UPFA will win in the Batticaloa district the UNP in areas like Uhana and ous communities. candidate, the government points a UPFA in the three districts of the EP. but that the UNP/SLMC alliance will win in Tirukkovil in the Ampara district, Q. Even though you say that eth- finger at the ethnicity of our chief Q. There is a rumour going around the Amparai and Trincomalee districts. what is the support that the UNP has nicity is not important, the first ministerial candidate. Colombo to the effect that the Moulavis in A. In Batticaloa and Amparai, the UPFA been getting in the Tamil areas? provincial council election fought in Q. Everybody in that area knows the eastern province are getting ready to will definitely win. Trincomalee we have to A. If there is a free and fair elec- the east in 1988, was fought on ethnic that the only reason why the UNP tion, the UNP will definitely win. lines with the Tamils getting 14 seats could face an election in the east is make a declaration today after Friday wait and see, I can’t say anything at the Tamil people especially, are very and the Muslims getting an equal because of the alliance with the prayers to the effect that all moment. keen to cast their votes. But number. On what grounds do you SLMC. So your chief minister will Muslims should vote for the Q. The first eastern provincial coun- the Pillaiyan group and the say that this election will be actually be a SLMC chief minister UNP/SLMC alliance. Have cil election in 1988, was fought on eth- government are trying to any different? Is the rather than a UNP CM. you heard anything about nic lines wasn’t it? prevent the Tamil people TNA supporting your A. No, the chief minister will be this? A. I also contested that election from casting their votes. party in the Tamil areas? UNP. For the first time, Mr Hakeem A. I don’t think so, and all the Tamils voted for the They are trying to have A. No they (the TNA) because I have heard EPRLF, and all the Muslims voted votes cast only by peo- have not been supporting has climbed down from his tree and ple whom they can be us. But given the divi- mounted an elephant. If people think nothing to that effect. with the SLMC. sure of. We have also sions in the east, The that Mr Hakeem is trying to build a Q. But earlier, Q. Don’t you see a similar thing got to know that while Tamils vote for Tamil can- Muslim state in the East, that is con- the Moulavis did happening at this election? on the one hand Tamil didates, the Muslims vote trary to the Constitution of the UNP. make an attempt to get A. No this election is not on people will be prevent- for Muslim candidates, and We should all appreciate the sacrifice some sort of an alliance communal lines. There are Tamil, ed from voting, there the Sinhalese vote for that Mr Hakeem made to face this together, which fell apart Sinhala and Muslim candidates con- is a plan to stuff the Sinhalese candidates – election. It‘s Mahinda Rajapaksa who because Mr Hakeem testing under the UPFA and there are ballot boxes. If this that is unavoidable. divided the Muslim people by entic- refused to abandon the Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim plan can be thwarted, Mahinda Rajapakse has ing SLMC parliamentarians to aban- Tree symbol… candidates contesting the UNP will win. divided the province. don their party in exchange for posi- A. After that fell under the UNP/SLMC Q. Given the situ- But what the UNP tions and perks. So the SLMC had to ation in the east, wants to do is regard- apart, the Moulavis alliance. So voting won’t be get together with the UNP to defeat gave up. on communal lines. We will does the UNP believe less of how many repre- the government. Therefore, this is Tamil people will sentatives the Muslims, Q. So the get the majority of the not a lone battle being waged by the vote in a Muslim Tamils or Sinhalese get, Muslims have been Muslim votes. SLMC.