News
Where there’s youth there’s hope in politics
Parties are hunting for young candidates in a bid to attract the youth vote as well as to root out undesirable contenders.
Harshana Rajakaruna, member of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) and son of former MP Sarathchandra Rajakaruna has applied to contest from the Gampaha district on the United National Party (UNP) ticket.“The upcoming election will be a turning point as people will be given an opportunity to elect young, educated politicians who will be able to use their academic and professional knowledge to serve the public, unlike the politicians who have tarnished the reputation of parliament by engaging in fraud and corruption,” he said.
Harshana Rajakaruna
He said public representatives should be afraid and ashamed to get involved in any form of corruption, violence or fraudulent activity by using the privileges granted to them as MPS.It is learnt that among those who have handed in applications to SLFP headquarters for nomination as candidates are former Akuressa Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Saruwa Liyanage Sunil, arrested in 2012 for allegedly abusing two underage girls, and UPFA provincial councillor Ananda Sarath Kumara who in 2013 caused an public outcry for forcing a teacher to kneel to him for taking disciplinary action against his daughter.
The National Organiser of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP), Bimal Ratnayake agreed there ought to be more educated and intelligent youth representation in parliament but criticised the fact that many of the young public representatives come from families with political connections.
“Sons, daughters, nephews and nieces of former ministers, MPs, provincial councillors and local authority members view the opportunity to contest elections as a family inheritance,” he said. Most of them had gained their higher education from universities abroad and had lived in comfort. “I doubt if they are ready to engage in active politics and cater to the needs of the underprivileged,” Mr. Ratnayake said.
Malsha Kumaratunga, daughter of former MP Jeevan Kumaratunga, a WPC member, encouraged young educated female politicians to be a part of legislative system and emphasised the importance of increasing the number of educated participants who would serve the public without expecting fame and were able to initiate dialogue on finding solutions to fundamental issues.
Malsha Kumaratunga
The former general secretary of the UNP who supported ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last presidential election campaign, Tissa Attanayake, said he would make a decision next week on whether he would contest the election.Jayantha Ketagoda, the former Democratic Party MP who shifted to the SLFP to support Mr. Rajapaksa, said his decision to contest the election would be determined by Mr. Rajapaksa’s decision to contest the election from the SLFP and UPFA.
WPC Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said he would be contesting with Mr. Rajapaksa and invited the former president to contest from the Gampaha district to gain more preferential votes.The UNP has appointed Karu Jayasuriya, Minister of Buddha Sasana, Public Administration, Democratic Governance and Leadership Council Chairman, to head the election campaign for the party, including the selection of candidates. Party Chairman Malik Samarawickrama will head the committee preparing the UNP election manifesto, according to Minister of Tourism and Sports, Navin Dissanayake.
The JVP announced the list of the nominated candidates for each district representing members of the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities on Tuesday, making a few changes from the last election.JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and K.D. Lal Kantha will be contesting from Colombo District. Vijitha Herath and Bimal Ratnayaka from Gampaha, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa from Kalutara, Sunil Handunnetti from Matara, Gamini Ratnayaka from Kegalle, Wasantha Samarasinghe from Anuradhapura, R. M. Jayawardane from Monaragala, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran from Jaffna, Samantha Vidyaratna from Badulla, Gayan Janaka from Kandy, Wasantha Peiris from Ampara and Nihal Galappaththi from Hambantota are some of the names that have been confirmed by the party.
“Ninety-four members of the Sri Lankan parliament haven’t passed the GCE Ordinary Level and 143 have not passed the GCE Advanced Level examination. There are great politicians who have not passed these examinations but we have to ensure that the people vote for the right person,” said the Executive Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennakoon.
He added that this is a golden opportunity to help people elect qualified and honest leaders to parliament.