A.A.M.Nizam

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The United Peoples Freedom Alliance led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has secured a historic landslide victory in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Local Government elections held yesterday ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ taking control of 205 local bodies of the 234 Local Government Institutions for which elections were held.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The UPFA have uprooted the opposition parties from the strongholds they held for years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Opposition United National Party has been wiped out in many areas and they have been pushed to the third place by the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi which has secured control of 12 Councils in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  However, the UPFA has made deep penetration into these areas as well taking control of several Local Government Institutions in the North and East as well.

The United National Party which had control of 32 councils previously has been able to get control only 9 councils.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The extremist and dogmatic Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which held control of the Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabhawa for over 10 years lost badly in their only stronghold.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It has come to third place in this local council, and they have not been able to get control any of the local government institutions for which elections were held.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The United PeopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Freedom Alliance has taken complete control of many of the districts which include Batticaloa district in the Eastern Province, Galle, Matara and Hambantota all the 3 districts in the Southern Province, Gampaha district in the Western province, Puttalam district in the North Western province, both districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in the North Central District, Moneragala district of the Uva Province and both districts of Ratnapura and Kegalle in the Sabaragamuwa district.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi which has come to the second place in the elections, have won two village councils in the Ampara district, one Urban Council and one Village Council in the Trincomalee district, one Urban Council and three Village councils in the Mannar district with the remaining village council won by the government, 3 village councils won in the Vavuniua district with the remaining Village Council won by the government, and one village council in the Mulativu district.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress an ally of the government which contested in several districts separately has secured control of four village councils.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The newly formed National Congress has taken control of two local government institutions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Upcountry Peoples Front also an ally of President Mahinda RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government has taken control of the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha. An independent group has taken control of the Pallepola Pradeshiya Sabha in the Matale district of the Central Province with 6 seats against 3 seats obtained by the UNP.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The government party UPFA did not field candidates for this Village Council.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Salient features of yesterdayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s election are that areas recently devastated by floods and landslides despite oppositions allegations of inadequate treatment, have completely voted for the government candidates.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Another glaring factor is that voters in the food growing districts of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura have defeated the United National Party in these two districts almost reducing the UNP members elected to less than half of the government party candidates elected.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha has returned the highest number of government members amounting to 15.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Three more Councils in the Gampaha districts, Gampaha, Katana and Divulapitiya has elected 14 members each from the UPFA candidates.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

This massive victory obtained by the government in yesterdayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s is seen by political analysts as an endorsement of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Mahinda ChinthanayaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ policy of President Mahinda Rajapaka which guaranteed peace and development and an end to terrorism. Despite various allegations leveled against the government by the UNP the people have backed the government and heeded the call made by the President to elect a set of candidates who could closely coordinate with the government and divert the benefits of the development process to build the rural areas and strengthen the economy of the rural masses.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The United National Party which has still not shed their anti-patriotic and western slavish policies have been completely rejected by the people and the results indicate that in many councils, especially in the village areas the votes secured by the UNP was almost or less than half of the votes obtained by the government candidates.

People have also totally rejected the JVP, which make each and every petty issue to raise slogans against the government and they have hardly managed to secure one or two seats in few of the councils, which they held in considerable numbers in the dissolved councils.(niz).