An opportunity for peaceful pluralistic developmentSecretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) 12th May 2008

The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process welcomes the conclusion of the Eastern Provincial Election, and the possibility now of establishing an Eastern Provincial Administration that will be able to fulfil the spirit of devolution as required in Sri Lanka.

For too long now devolution has been seen as leading to the emergence of a Provincial administration that is either subordinate to the Central government, or else in absolute opposition to it. On the contrary, a Provincial administration should be able to promote unity through diversity, the promotion of Province specific solutions for local problems, pursued in conformity with general government principles but not necessarily in conformity with practices in other provinces.

The perversion of the concept of devolution began way back in 1988 when the then government, which had resisted meaningful devolution for so long, implemented the 13th amendment when the country was in a state of anarchy. This was in part due to the denial of democracy for over half a decade, which led to the emergence of militant movements in both the north and the south of the country. The brutality with which the government suppressed those movements, whilst using the situation to promote its own electoral prospects by arming not only politicians seeking election but also their henchmen, has now been forgotten even by those politicians for whom gentlemen such as Gonawala Sunil and Kalu Lucky were treasured associates.

In such a context the government picked strongmen to lead provincial election campaigns, engaged in thuggery and stuffing of ballot boxes - not impersonation but actual filling wholesale of boxes with ballot papers taken by force - against weak opponents, and set a model for provincial government that has in general precluded independent development. The positive contribution to a provincial identity of the Chief Minister of the North-Western Provincial Council was the exception that proved the rule, but even he could not prevent the steady erosion of provincial authority by the center, contrary to the provisions of the 13th amendment. Successive Chief Ministers since then have suffered from the practices laid down then. Given the general principle, that movement from a Provincial Chief Ministership to even a minor portfolio at the Centre was a devoutly desired promotion, productive initiatives were rare.

All that has changed with the election of a Provincial government which owes its primary allegiance to the people of the Province, whilst it maintains close and cordial relations with the Central government. Already the new Mayor of Batticaloa has shown, in discussion with government and with the international community that was wary previously of contributing to development of the area, that many independent initiatives, appropriate to the area, are being planned. There is no doubt that the Provincial Council, and the executive in the

Province that will answer to that Council, will follow a similar path, in close consultation with the government, but with the ability and the desire to ensure targeted development appropriate to the region.

In the context of such hope, for development through diversity but without conflict, it is a pity that the same set of spoilers are once more trying to do down the region. It is tragic that the leaders of the oppositional coalition that lost the election are now claiming that the election should be overturned. In order to support their claim, they even set up an elections monitoring organization for which initially the spokesman was a well-known representative of the opposition UNP.

Now they have instead put forward Nimalka Fernando, cited as head of CAFFE, who has openly admitted that the UNP is part of the group, while claiming that other parties are also represented, without specifying what these parties are and how they contribute to the claim of pluralism. How Ms Fernando can deny the political connection between her new grouping and the opposition that lost the election defies the imagination, but she has established herself in the past as that Wittgensteinian freak, who buys a second copy of the morning paper to check that what the first said was true.

It is not a problem that this nonsense will go on, but it would be sad if the international community allowed itself to be taken in by this, to the extent of refusing to work together with the new administration. Some elements in the international media have already begun to highlight the opposition threat to campaign against the results of the election, and it would be tragic if such threats were taken seriously, without proper attention to the reports of PAFREL, which had established itself as the internationally recognized organization in Sri Lanka for the monitoring of elections.

A proper understanding of the facts would make it clear that the people have spoken, and that the result is as acceptable as results in Sri Lanka generally are - and certainly very different from what obtained during the horrors of the eighties, when massive majorities were registered in the most unlikely places. We need to move forward now on this basis, for Sri Lanka is ripe and ready for pluralistic development. The attempts of oppositional forces to persuade the world to prevent this should be seen for what they are, the sourest of sour grapes, and resisted.



Prof Rajiva Wijesinha

Secretary-General

Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process

Election results show people's mandate to govt policy against terror - President

Statement by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the successful conclusion of the first election to the Eastern Provincial Council;

The results of the elections to the first Eastern Provincial Council show the people's endorsement of the government's policy of restoring democracy and normalcy to areas hitherto controlled by the terrorists, and the overall development programme already initiated in the Eastern Province.

Following the successful completion of the elections to local government bodies in the Batticaloa District in March this year, this is another important milestone in the government's policy of restoring democratic rights to the people in areas once dominated by the LTTE, and of ensuring democracy throughout the island.

The voters of the Eastern Province who participated in this election peacefully and in large numbers have demonstrated their interest in protecting their democratic rights which were denied to them for nearly two decades by the forces of terror; which were restored to them with the liberation of the Eastern Province by the Security Forces.

This election emphasizes the policy of the government to create an environment in which all our people could enjoy democratic rights and live in freedom and harmony. I note that the people of the East have given a clear mandate for peace through the defeat of terrorism, the strengthening of democracy and the development of the country.

I thank all political parties and candidates that participated in the important election, all personal of the Department of the Commissioner General of Elections, all other public officers, and members of the Armed Services and Police that helped in the successful conduct of this election.

The representatives of the people chosen in this peaceful election represent the will of the people, and I look forward to their cooperation in the country's march to strengthen and widen democracy throughout our country, and to assisting in the tasks already initiated and ahead to develop the Eastern Province.

Policy Research & Information

Presidential Secretariat

Colombo

UPFA wins Eastern Province

The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won the Provincial council election in the Eastern Province 2008, by securing 20 seats against 15 by the main opposition the United National Party (UNP). The Jantha Vimukthi Peramua (JVP) and Tamils' Democratic National Alliance (TDNA) won one seat each.

In Batticaloa district UPFA secured the power winning 6 seats. The UNP won 4 seats and TDNA one seat. Ampara district was also won by the UPFA with 8 seats against the 6 of the UNP.

The UNP won the most number of seats in Trincomalee district winning 5 seats against the UPFA. The JVP also won one seat.

The election result for the whole province is as follows:

Party Votes Seats
UPFA 308886 20
UNP 250732 15
JVP 9390 1
TDNA 7714 1

Overall 55%-60% voter turnout in violence-free Eastern PC poll

With an overall 55% to 60% voter turnout, the curtain came down on the Eastern Provincial Council election yesterday sans any major poll-related acts of violence.

The turnout for the poll in the three districts of the Province, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa - held after a lapse of 20 years, was satisfactory, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said

Though there was a lull as polling opened at 7 am, it gathered momentum as the day progressed, election officials said.

"There were no major election-related incidents of violence", senior police and security officials said.

Ampara's Chief Returning Officer, Sunil Kannangara said polling was in the range of 60% to 65% in the Digamadulla district.

Trincomalee's Chief Returning Officer, Major General (Retd) Ranjith de Silva placed the voter turnover 55% to 60% in the district under his purview.

Chief Returning Officer of Batticaloa, Government Agent Sundaram Arumainayagam reported 55% polling in his district.

There were no major incidents during polling and voters were observed casting their votes in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, said W. P. Sumanasiri, the Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and Local).

However, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) and People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) reported certain poll-related incidents in the three districts.

CMEV said in a statement that 25 complaints of incidents of election related violence were received and of them 18 fell into the 'major offences' category.

PAFFREL's Executive director Kingsley Rodrigo said 56 incidents were reported and of them 28 were made by the UNP. Most of them related to chasing away voters, impersonation and clashes between political party supporters.

He said that overall 80% had gone off smoothly but 20% had been marred by untoward incidents.

The leader of the TMVP, who is also the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UPFA Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan better known as Pillaiyan cast his vote at the polling station at Vipulananda Maha Vidyalaya in Valachchenai. Similarly, the other UPFA hopeful M. L .A. M. Hisbullah voted in his hometown of Kattankudy under heavy military cover.

The Chairman of the SLMC and chief candidate of the UNP from the Batticaloa district Basheer Cegudawood cast his vote at the Arafat Vidayalaya booth, adjoining his residence at Eravur.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, coordinating his party's campaign yesterday charged that the polls were not free and fair and cited certain incidents at Tirukkovil in Ampara, Verugal in Trincomalee. He accused the TMVP leader of rigging votes in Batticaloa but said he is hopeful of victory for the UNP.

Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa who was associated with Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in leading the UPFA's campaign in the Digamadulla District also expressed confidence of victory for his party.

UPFA General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha leading the campaign from the Batticaloa district said that the situation was quite calm without any major incidents and the voter turnout was improving by noon, "The UPFA is assured of an overwhelming victory "

Senior Advisor to the President (MP) Basil Rajapaksa leading the UPFA's campaign in the Eastern Province expressed confidence that the Government would get a resounding victory to move forward with developing the province.

DIG (Digamadulla) Shantha Rajapaksa said no violent poll-related incidents were reported.

DIG (Batticaloa) H. M. D Herath said that the situation was under control without any incidents worth mentioning.

DIG (Trincomalee) Upali Gunasekera said that expect for a few isolated incidents, voting took place in a peaceful atmosphere.

The last elections to the formerly merged North-East Province was held on November 19, 1988

This poll was held according to the Electoral Register for 2006 under which there are 982,721 registered voters who were eligible to cast their vote for 1,342 candidates belonging to 18 political parties and 56 independent groups to elect 35 members. Two bonus seats will go to the party or group that receives the highest number of preference votes.

Courtesy: The Island