(August 10, 2009 - Lanka Polity) Nobody seems astonished with the massive victory of the ruling united People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at the Uva Provincial Council election. The 'democratic'way the Rajapakse regime conducts election campaigns manipulating public property as unlimited party resources is a blatant daylight robbery of public consent. However, it is unequivocal that the UPFA is popular enough to register a landslide victory in an election in south in the aftermath of the defeat of the Tamil Tigers even if the elections are conducted actually democratically. Government needs not only victory but also the destruction of the opponents.
Writing to the The Island today, Dr. Dayan Jayathilaka says, "While a municipal election does not usually qualify as historic, the elections to local authorities in Jaffna and Vavuniya certainly are. They are the first elections to be held in the centers of Tamil political life after the end of the Thirty Years War of secession with the conclusive defeat of the Tigers."
In fact, in relation to remarkable developments of Sri Lankan polity, the elections for the Jaffna Municipal Council and the Vavuniya Urban Council are far important than the Uva Provincial Council election. The ruling party conducted the election campaign in north in the same manner it did in Uva Province. Political repression under the state power prevails same throughout the island whilst a military pressure is added in north.
Expressing disappointment over the polls results to The Island, Ealam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) leader and Minister Douglas Devananda regretted their failure to take the Vavuniya Urban Council despite the ruling coalition implementing a range of measures to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the districts. The TNA had done absolutely nothing for them, he said adding that people should have been grateful to the UPFA for liberating them from LTTE terrorism.
EPDP initially opined to contest the Jaffna Municipal Council alone but had to join the UPFA umbrella due to pressure from the government. Media reported that over 100,000 people came to watch 'Apsaras' music band play in Jaffna with local and South Indian artistes in an election-eve pageant sponsored by the government. However, mere 22% of the voters, i.e. 22,280, turned up for voting on August 08. Of them, less than 50%, 10,602, voted to the ruling UPFA.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that the government claims partially responsible for the misery of the Tamils obtained 8080 votes to become second in Jaffna. TNA recorded an outright win in Vavuniya where People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Ealam (PLOTE) placed second and the ruling UPFA fell to third place.
Now, various individuals are analyzing this election result according to their political agendas. Yet, one obvious point is that the regime that praises itself of freeing the Tamils from the grip of the terrorism is defeated among the same 'liberated' masses while the TNA that is branded as a paw of the defeated Tamil rebels is still powerful in a context their former mentor is no more.
The feeble voice raised by the defeated Tamils via TNA, PLOTE, Ananda sangaree who elected to the Jaffna Municipal Council from Tamil United Liberation Front and even the EPDP that helped UPFA to win Jaffna is not the one that the Rajapakse regime wants.
The signal given to India by Tamils through this election is significant in political future of Sri Lanka.
