{"id":95076,"date":"2019-11-11T15:34:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-11T22:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=95076"},"modified":"2019-11-11T15:34:29","modified_gmt":"2019-11-11T22:34:29","slug":"sri-lanka-elections-in-the-south-hopes-on-gotabaya-run-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/11\/11\/sri-lanka-elections-in-the-south-hopes-on-gotabaya-run-high\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka elections: In the south, hopes on Gotabaya run high"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/profile\/author\/Meera-Srinivasan-220\/\" data-rich-text-format-boundary=\"true\">Meera Srinivasan<\/a> Courtesy The Hindu<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/th.thgim.com\/news\/international\/o4hmk5\/article29947008.ece\/alternates\/FREE_960\/thjc-Gotabaya-supporters\" alt=\"Supporters of Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a rally in Neluwa village in Galle.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporters of Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a rally in Neluwa village in Galle. &nbsp; | Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/profile\/photographers\/AP\/\">AP<\/a>MORE-IN<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/topic\/Sri_Lanka_Presidential_Election\/\">Sri Lanka Presidential Elections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People here see in him a strong leader, who ended war, built infrastructure.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I brought my child along just so he can see our leader, even if from a distance,\u201d said Sepalika Harshani, 29, carrying her toddler under an umbrella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was among thousands who flocked to Wellawaya town in Sri Lanka\u2019s southern Monaragala district on Saturday afternoon, braving the rain. They had come for the rally of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, candidate from their favourite political clan, in the final lap of the November 16 presidential poll campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would be very happy if someone like him becomes President of this country. He got us freedom,\u201d Ms. Harshani said, referring to the war\u2019s end in 2009 under the Rajapaksa administration. Mr. Gotabaya, brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defence secretary, directing the military that defeated the rebel Tigers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/tpc.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-36\/html\/container.html\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nineteen-year-old A.P.D. Seuvandi, too, was there to catch a glimpse of the leader she has decided to vote for next weekend. They saved the country,\u201d the first-time voter said. She was barely nine when the war ended but has grown up listening to a popular story of its end; one quite different from what Tamils of the north and east would tell. He will make the country safe again, develop it and improve education standards for us.\u201d For many Sri Lankans, safety has become a major concern after the Easter Sunday terror attacks in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the island\u2019s southern hinterland, almost every local, including those supporting Mr. Gotabaya\u2019s main opponent Sajith Premadasa, assert that a majority here will vote for Gotabaya\u201d. Past&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/tag\/1369-1349\/election\/?utm=bodytag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>election&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a>results are proof enough for that sentiment. Even in 2015, an election that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost, most of the southern districts gave him over 60% of the vote share. Historically a stronghold of Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s former Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the southern belt seems to have readily embraced his newly-formed the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People\u2019s Party).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diverse reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The reasons pulling voters towards Mr. Gotabaya this time go beyond war victory\u201d. Some of them are looking for respite from the everyday economic strain they associate with the incumbent government, or are utterly disenchanted with it, like daily-waged labourer D.M. Jayaratne. This government came to power saying they would catch corrupt thieves. Nothing happened in the last five years. Instead, they robbed the Central Bank,\u201d he said, referring to the bond scam\u201d, in which a former head of the apex bank was accused of manipulating bond auctions in 2015, causing a loss of millions. The scandal was a major blow to the government that rose to power months earlier, that too on the promise of good governance\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, Mr. Jayaratne sees Mr. Gotabaya as a strong leader who will not give into Tamil demands\u201d for war-time accountability and self-rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Election vs real issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many voters, across Monaragala [Uva Province] and the neighbouring Hambantota [Southern Province] district, began their poll analysis with a reading of the two main candidates \u2014 and less often of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna\u2019s contestant Anura Kumara Dissanayake. But invariably, they spoke about pressing local concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They pointed to land hunger, in the wake of mega development projects in Hambantota \u2013 a Chinese-built port and an adjoining industrial zone proposed over 15,000 acres. They worried about loss of livelihoods and falling incomes. There are no jobs here,\u201d was a common refrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The irony was glaring. While billions of rupees have been channelled into the Rajapaksa-era development projects over the last decade, locals repeatedly speak of prevalent poverty. To the outside world, Hambantota is a high-profile emerging district, and a site of a regional geo-political tussle: with a Chinese-built port and the loss-making Mattala airport nearby, that India is interested in developing. But to many who live there, the development projects are at best distant and at worst, a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hoping for change<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Both, the Rajapaksas and Mr. Premadasa are closely associated with the southern districts \u2014 either by familial links, or their parliamentary seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The constant fear of further marginalisation is making some voters consider a shift towards Mr. Premadasa. While it may not dull the Rajapaksa sheen yet, it points to Mr. Premadasa\u2019s growing base, especially in the rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For K. L. Pradeepa Priyadarshini, Mr. Premadasa\u2019s candidacy brings back the hope she felt during his father Ranasinghe Premadasa\u2019s rule in the early 1990s. Hearing about his poverty alleviation programmes on radio, I felt here is a national leader who has finally spoken about our need for food and water,\u201d said the Hambantota-based farmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you sit in air-conditioned rooms, you can\u2019t feel the heat and dust that people like us feel every day.\u201d To her, Mr. Premadasa appears different, with a largely unblemished political record and fair success as Housing Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not who, but what<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporters of Mr. Gotabaya are nostalgic about the past. Mahinda Rajapaksa ended the war, built roads and expanded rural electricity. But those drawn to Mr. Premadasa are looking at what he might do in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some voters are tired of thinking about who to vote for. They\u2019d rather think about&nbsp;<em>what<\/em>&nbsp;to vote for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A group of women farmers in Monaragala district are basing their decision on candidates\u2019 manifestos. We are looking at what they have said about women, farmers, national unity, rural debt, especially microfinance-induced debt, and education policy,\u201d said S.A. Shanthi. They also challenged the idea of national security\u201d that has become a chief election issue, in the wake of the Easter bombings. To ensure national security, &#8220;we don\u2019t need a strong leader. we just need sound policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whose security are they talking about?\u201d asked P.G. Podinona. Seeing the number of security guards around some candidates, it\u2019s obvious who feels most insecure in this country. Whereas some of us don\u2019t even have a dog to guard us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meera Srinivasan Courtesy The Hindu Supporters of Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a rally in Neluwa village in Galle. &nbsp; | Photo Credit:&nbsp;APMORE-INSri Lanka Presidential Elections People here see in him a strong leader, who ended war, built infrastructure. I brought my child along just so he can see our leader, even if from a distance,\u201d said [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}