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Ads adding to campaign, the system favours the rich
By Chandani Kirinde
In many ways the campaign for the upcoming polls are different, though it is the country's third general elections in four years. Thrust on voters, the elections caught many politicians, especially those belonging to the the ruling UNF, unawares. While the UPFA began its campaign with a bang followed by colourful manifesto-launching ceremonies, the UNF campaign bore the marks of a lacklustre beginning.

As the UPFA launched a barrage of TV and radio ads with the punch line being 'Kawda mewata waga kiyanne' (Who is responsible for this?), the UNF appeared to have adopted a policy of allowing the UPFA to fire from all cylinders till it runs out of ammunition. The UNF increased the tempo of its campaign only with two weeks to go for the general elections. An avalanche of ads in the print and the electronic media followed and the battle between the two main parties intensified. The ad campaign has become a no-holds-barred game with character assassination being thrown in for good measure.

While the UNP, through its ads, tries to ride on what it calls the success of the peace-process and the economic dividends of it, the UPFA ads, questioning the UNF claims, vows to take the country on a progressive path.

Both parties have spent hundreds of millions of rupees on their ad campaign and several millions for their poster campaign and meeting expenses. Unlike the first-past-the-post system, the PR system requires a candidate to campaign throughout the district to win a seat. As a result, he has to spend several times more than what he would have otherwise spent under the earlier system.

The present system favours the rich -- candidates who are able to campaign throughout the district, print posters and insert ads in the electronic and print media. The less affluent candidates have to depend on 'political sponsors' or curtail their campaign and run the risk of losing elections.

Even before the date of the polls were announced, one candidate's picture adored the front page of a leading Sinhala daily in the form of an ad which continues till today. But there are very few candidates among the over 5,000 contesting who can afford such expense.

Veteran politician Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi, father of Ratnapura's leading UPFA candidate Pavithra Wanniarachchi, told The Sunday Times that he believed a candidate needed at least five million rupees to carry out an effective campaign. He said money was the reason he was not contesting in this year's election.

Unlike the previous elections, the poster-war this time appears to be on a low key. This is because of tough and prompt police action against election law violators. In most areas, the Police have been sending out night patrols to stop posters and cutouts being put up.

As a countermeasure, candidates have increased pocket meetings -- an election strategy tried and tested by the JVP. While the major parties spend hundreds of millions of rupees on the campaign, cash-strapped smaller parties such as the New Left Front or the Jathika Hela Urumaya have used the electronic and print media to an extent their coffers allow them to do so. Many small parties have to be content with TV times allocated to them under the election law to get their messages across.

Some main party candidates are using alternate ways to reach the voter. Ministers Milinda Moragoda and Ravi Karunanayake are using telephones to send their messages to voters in their areas with the help of tele-recording devices while UNF candidate Ananda Grero sends SMS messages to mobile phone users. However, the old way of going in vehicles and posting leaflets is also adopted by candidates.

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