Govt. holds elections hoping there wont be voting -UNP

(August 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Of what purpose is an election and an election victory where there is only 18% voting ? asked Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena speaking to the media at the UNP media unit today (11Jul) . Referring to the Govt.’s election victory in Jaffna after spending colossal sums of public funds , there was only 18% polling. Even in Vavuniya there was only 40% polling .

The govt. was fully aware that this was not the time for elections as all opposition parties warned the Govt. against wasting billions and billions of rupees of people’s money on untimely uncalled for elections . This Govt. is following the practice of staggered elections the whole year round wasting precious time. The Ministers and MPs who are elected to serve the people are dissipating all the time and precious public funds on elections . It is therefore no wonder the country’s economy , development and people’s welfare programs have ground to a halt ., Jayawardena regretted.

The main Opposition party had to face severe odds at the elections in the North while the Govt. had all the advantages . UNP was not allowed to use the A9 road. Its candidates had to spend their own money to travel to Jaffna by plane . Even getting permission from the Defense Ministry for campaigning in Jaffna was a huge hurdle . But , the Govt. candidates had all the facilities and assistance from the Govt., he pinpointed.
The UNP Parliamentarians were not even allowed to visit the IDP camps to inquire into the needs of those destitute and acutely suffering , although they are the elected representatives of the people . It is the right of an elected representative to visit the prisons to inquire about the welfare of even the IRCs, he noted .

He challenged the Govt. to hold elections constitutionally after implementing the 13th amendment and democratically if it wishes to prove it has people’s popularity rather than win elections resorting to foul and unlawful methods.

-Sri Lanka Guardian