Provincial Council elections!

- Thinakkural Editorial

(August 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) What message do the elections for the North Central and Sabragamuwa Provincial Councils convey?

President Rajapakse, who sought a mandate for his military operations against the LTTE, hails the election result as a victory for the motherland and he further states that the results are a verdict of the people of the country. President Rajapakse maintains that the whole country is behind him in his war efforts.

As far as the opposition UNP is concerned, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake states that they have won more votes than on the last occasion although the ruling party abused State power and State resources to conduct its campaign. This contention is meaningless.

The JVP, which always boasts that they are a third political force in the country, has done miserably at the election. In fact, JVP was campaigning that President Rajapakse won the Presidential polls due to the alliance with the JVP.

In fact, the crux of the campaign by the JVP during the elections was that the Rajapakse regime would not have continued the military operations against the LTTE had it not been for the pressure exerted by their party.

Let us see the truth of the matter. Is it that the people have given an endorsement for the war? Is it that people are not concerned about the economic crisis? Is it that people endorse the human rights violations in the country?

Undoubtedly, due to the propaganda by the government machinery, the people generally believe that a military solution is possible. The government uses the war propaganda to distract the public attention from the economic crisis. War against the LTTE dominates the political agenda of the government, while, there is no vibrant opposition that can confront this war propaganda of the government.

(An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo.) - Sri Lanka Guardian