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Despite
the tsunami the South stands by its son The South had always been the stronghold of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) - the predecessors of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) - and in this election too the UPFA secured all electorates of the Southern Province with Galle electorate being the sole exception, repeating the performance at the 2004 General Election. Some sections of the people in Hambantota were of the view that as the budding UNP Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa had rendered much community work in the district, the UNP would be able to give tough competition to the candidate from the district. However a considerable number was of the opinion that as the Prime Minister was from the South he should be voted into power regardless of party differences. One group which was critical of the government was the tsunami affected people. Their grouse was that although there were a number of ministers from the South, the government had not carried out rehabilitation and rebuilding work cohesively and they were still left high and dry. Residing in the tsunami affected persons camp at Nupe in the heart of Matara, W. P. Anura, a fisherman from Thotamuna told The Sunday Times the woes of the tsunami affected and fishermen in particular. "We canvassed for the Freedom Alliance during the 2004 elections but the Government was not concerned whether we were dead or alive after the tsunami. We were not given the allowance of Rs. 5,000 after the first four months. 23 members of my family passed away. Nothing had been given to us. All we ask for are houses and money to buy our fishing equipment to re-start our livelihoods," he said. Another victim, H. W. D. Dayawathi, who had a retail shop inside the Matara Fort said that although 12 months had already passed she got nothing. "The government gave nothing to us. One of my relatives was working in the Security Division of the Prime Minister and he died in the tsunami but the family was given nothing but the coffin. We are totally fed up with the government," she said. CFA
to be amended: Mahinda He
was asked by the media whether he would alter the existing Ceasefire
Agreement to which he answered in the affirmative. "As all
parties concerned want the agreement amended I will take steps to
amend or alter it," he said. He then visited a nearby house
in which some of his relatives lived. "Some papers say that even Susil Premjayantha and Anura Bandaranaike were on the verge of crossing over," the Premier was told by his sibling, who himself had at one time 'crossed over' to the UNP. "Anura of course, is of no use to any party now. He won’t be taken in by the UNP. At the last meeting President Kumaratunga herself said it. I pretended I didn't hear it," the Premier said. He then went on to comment on the opinion poll conducted by the state intelligence agency - the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). "The NIB report is wrong. It shows that I have only 52 percent in Hambantota where as even in Trincomalee I have 57 percent," he said. Several prominent figures in the area including a Buddhist monk and a Muslim leader met the Prime Minister. Mr. Rajapakse then left to offer homage at the grave of his mother and thereafter went to observe activities at several polling stations in the area. |
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