"Govt. following ‘Demo’- crazy traditions and power- crazy ambitions"

(June 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Speaking to the media at the UNP media unit today (19 Jun) , UNP M.P. Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena regretted that the people who patiently endured all the burdens and hardships imposed on them by the Government during the war hoping that the Govt. would after the war think of them unselfishly, and alleviate their burdens have been most dismally let down. The Govt. after the war is not thinking of the people , rather it is now thinking only of enlarging its already oversized Jumbo Cabinet of Ministers at people’s expense ,and perpetuating its power greed, by looking for ways and means to postpone or resorting to deceitful practices to win elections.

Though the Govt. has decided to hold elections in Vavuniya and Jaffna Municipal Councils, and has fixed 25th June as the final date for nominations , it has not still given permission to the UNP and Opposition parties to travel freely to these Districts . How does the Govt. expect the UNP to campaign and engage in election activities , let alone hand over nominations ? Is this democracy or has the Govt. gone crazy ? he asked.

Several letters and reminders have been sent to the Defense Secretary through the Elections Commissioner, and even the UNP Gen . Secretary has sent an urgent reminder on the 16th of June directly to the Defense Secretary asking permission to travel to these areas, but there has been no reply so far, he lamented.

The Govt. in its eagerness to hold on to despotic power is outrunning its sureness of the Democratic tenets. Elections are held to strengthen the Democratic rights of the people., but this Govt. on the contrary is holding elections to deny those very rights by unfair and foul conduct of elections , he pinpointed.

SL has now created a record for the country with highest number of refugees , over three hundred thousand in makeshift camps without even the basic facilities plagued by food, sanitation and drugs shortages. There are 27000 injured persons, 3500 pregnant women and hundreds of children without caring and with no parents to claim them. There are reports that every day there are ten deaths in these camps as welfare and other facilities are wanting .Even in the midst of this state of affairs , the Govt. does not allow the people’s representatives – members of Parliament of the Opposition parties to go to these camps and look after the needs of these refugees. Even he is refused despite the fact that he is a medical Doctor and also the authorized representative of the main Opposition party for election activities in the North , Dr. Jayawardena observed.

-Sri Lanka Guardian