A quick macro analysis of the Presidential election.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010

Malin Abeyatunge

Sarath Fonseka (or UNP) won the Districts of Batticaloa , Digamadulla, Nuwara ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Eliya , Jaffna ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Trincomalee-and Wanni . What does it reflect? It is very obvious that whole of N&E and Nuwera Eliya are Tamil dominated areas and the results reflect that SF would have a had strong and binding pact with TNA to remerge of North & East.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Tamils in the North and East should be grateful for President Rajapaksa for having freed them from LTTE tyranny. Their children can go to school without being abducted. The people who were under the jackboots of tyranny need not fear of abduction, conscription, forceful labour any more on getting on with their day to day life, farming, fishing etc,. There is immense development taking place in the North and East but sadly, yet majority Tamils opted to vote for SF who even once said that Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhalese and the minority should learn to live with them without making unnecessary demands. The Tamils have been influenced by TNA and the invisible hand of the Tamil Diaspora who still havenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t given up Eelam. The conclusion is that even after freeing from LTTE clutches, saving the lives of almost 280,000 Tamils and launching development projects in the N&E and Nuwera Eliya (the Tamils in the estate sector got best of dividends under Rajapaksa), I find the majority Tamils have been ungrateful to President Rajapaksa at this election.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ By freeing the East, Muslims were freed from LTTE tyranny. Muslims could pray in the mosques in Eastern Province without being massacred as it happened in Batticaloa in 1990. Yet there was no sizable move by the Muslims in the East, Mahnuwera and Colombo in support of Rajapaksa. They still tend to follow the pro-LTTE Muslim leaders like Rauf Hakeem who betrayed the Muslims. The conclusion is that majority Muslims are also an ungrateful lot.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is a sizable trend in the ColomboƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s district (albeit Rajapaksa won the District) by the Kultur Colombians mainly in the private sector and the business circle in support of UNP horse Sarath Fonseka. These Colombians have forgotten within 6 months how they lived under fear psychosis of LTTE terror. Business sector couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t carry out their businesses freely and without fear before 18 May 2009. But all that was cleared when Rajapaksa leadership defeated LTTE. But this clan wants to put the country right within 6 months. The conclusion is that they are also a ungrateful lot who dissent President Rajapaksa for what ever good he did.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So, we are left with the Rural folks. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s their children who fought the war. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s they who were willing to bear the rising cost of living without a murmur as they put the country first The Clombians who spend thousands and thousand rupees to have parties, dinners at plush hotels but yet continue to grumble for rising cost of living. President RajapkasaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s full strength for his resounding victory came from the Rural sector of the country. They are the grateful lot. President Rajapkasa should therefore be more grateful to rural sector and uplifting their living standard should be treated as priority number one.

One Response to “A quick macro analysis of the Presidential election.”

  1. cassandra Says:

    It is worth remebering that a fair section of the rural population also voted for Sarath Fonseka. Surely, you cannot accuse them of ingratitude. So, why should only the people in Colombo who voted for SF be considered to have been ungrateful?
    And if you have a close look at the voting patterns in the Colombo polling divisions at this election and the 2005 election, you will find that Mahinda Rajapakse did in fact increase his percentage share of the vote. Take for instance the two most populous of these divisions – Colombo North and Colombo Central. MR’s percentage share of the vote at the 2010 election was as under. The 2005 share is shown in brackets
    – Colombo North 28.53 (23.74)
    – Colombo Central 22.54 (20.31)
    I don’t thinks this demonisation of the people of Colombo does anyone any good.
    MR’s ‘strength’ is clearly in the rural areas but that does not mean he is President only for them.

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