- Thousands might lose the right to vote
- Transport might be a grave issue
- Big shots of all parties leading the campaign
by Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon
(July 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The people of the North will go for local government elections today. All stakeholders including CaFFE have stated that this is an important moment of the democratic process in the North because this is a golden opportunity to convince the Northerners the benefits of representative democracy.
From the beginning the main battle has been between the TNA and the UPFA Government. A strong showing at the elections is a matter of pride for the government who has won the March 17th, 2011 local council elections by a landslide and has vowed to win all 65 local governments on July 23.
Our observers have reported MP Namal Rajapaksa is leading the government campaign in Kilinochchi and Mulativu while minister Basil Rajapaksa is leading the campaign in Jaffna. The TNA has also gathered all its big shots to the North to face the challenge presented by the government.
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| A Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil man walks past a billboard carrying a portrait of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksha outside the ruling party's election office in Killinochchi, Sri Lanka, Thursday, July 21, 2011. Sri Lanka will hold elections for local governing bodies in north and some other parts on Saturday. -AP Photo |
However there are a few grave issues on the verge of this historic election. The propaganda material in the North has still not been cleared by the police and election officials despite the assurance of the Commissioner of Elections. Although material in Kilinochchi town have been removed, propaganda in the villages have not been even touched.
Many candidates in Killinochchi and Mulativu claim the transportation will be a key issue on Election Day. Everyone agrees that transportation facilities are poor in most of the Northern peninsula, but election authorities have done little to overcome the issue. In Killinochchi and Mulativu citizens might have to walk at least 5 KM, in some cases 20, to their respective polling centers. The same problem prevails in some parts of Jaffna and KKS.
Considerable amount of eligible voters do not have proper identification documents in Killinochchi and Mulativu Districts. Government statistics say that 60% do not have national identity cards while CaFFE has found that 40% have no valid identity documents by today. This is a grave situation since a valid identification document is mandatory for voting, and by now it is almost too late to assist those who do not have IDs. This might lead to thousands losing their voting rights.
Meanwhile voters in Poonakari and Pachchnapalei claim that they have not received polling cards despite applying.
In one of our previous reports we said that the election in the North is not getting the attention it deserves for several reasons and that has allowed the government to carry out a 'well calculated psychological operation' is to create fear psychosis among the people.
When comparing with the South, the fundamental rights including political freedom, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement is restricted in the North and this puts the opposition political parties and it's candidates at a disadvantage.
Already the TNA and the JVP, the two main opposition parties trying to make their presence felt are complaining that the security forces are interfering with their campaign. They also claim that their candidates and supporters are continuously harassed and intimidated. JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath last week called the elections a sham which illustrates his frustration at the process.
The government who is riding on a high believes that it is an unstoppable juggernaut, however if their actions lead to disillusionment among the public and erode their faith in representative democracy it does not bode well for the country. CaFFE urges the relevant authorities to ensure a free and fair election in the North.
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