News
Tussle for foothold in local bodies intensifies
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Political parties have stepped up their campaigns to gain public attention ahead of the local polls, after a brief slowdown during New Year week.
The National People’s Power (NPP) is campaigning with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake fronting the rallies.
President Dissanayake, addressing an election rally at Jaffna on Thursday, said that the NPP government would take action needed to defeat racism if it tries to lift its head.He said that the government has no right to hold onto the land belonging to the people under the cover of security. The President promised that the NPP would release the land that can be released to the people.
Campaigning has picked up after a lull during the Avurudu
Deputy Minister of Housing, T. B. Sarath told the Sunday Times that the third round of canvassing was completed in Polonnaruwa and small meetings will be held.
The party’s main campaign is being carried out in 22 districts where the president would also be joining rallies and informing the people why they should vote for the NPP. The ministers, parliamentarians and party organisers are all involved in the election campaign.
“The president is not threatening or intimidating voters. He is pointing out that as the NPP is the ruling party, it would be easier for the people to get work done with coordination between the central and local governments if the same party gets elected,’’ Mr. Sarath said.
The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and its leader Sajith Premadasa are holding district-level public meetings and public engagements.
Mr. Premadasa, told a public meeting at Minneriya Elahara area on Friday that the people appointed the government with a lot of hope but the government is not doing what it said it said it would do, and the people have been deceived. “The government has failed to reduce prices of rice and other essential items including milk and salt.’’
Galle District legislator, Gayantha Karaunathilake said that he is backing the campaign, and the candidates and organisers are visiting houses. Small meetings will be held in the upcoming two weeks, while the opposition leader too, would participate in rallies, he said.
Mr. Karunathilake is confident of victory. He added that the President is involved in the campaign and making claims that local government authorities would only get the funds passed, or support from the government only if ruling party people are elected.
The Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP) is hoping for a comeback and has resumed the second half of its campaign. The party had divided its campaign programme as pre new year and post new year.
Party General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said even though they stopped the overall campaign during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year days, candidates and organisers went on house-to-house campaign. 
Mr Kariyawasam said that the biggest election violation is being done by the President himself, as he is making claims, which would affect the outcome.
He added that the party plans to complain to the Election Commission, and ask the EC to intervene and make people understand the real situation,
A senior member of the United National Party (UNP) said that due to internal disputes the campaign is low key.
The SLFP faction contesting under the People’s Freedom Alliance hopes to secure more votes.
SLFP’s senior deputy Chairman Mahinda Amaraweera said he took part in meetings in Kandy, Hambantota, and Uva Paranagama this week. Key party members had divided the districts among themselves and are helping the candidates.
He is also surprised by the government’s election campaign as the ruling party itself is using intimidation tactics.
“However, people hadve understood the lack of confidence of the government, so we would score better, while the ruling party will have a significant drop of votes,’’ he said.
Newly-formed Mawbima Janatha Party (MJ) is contesting for 200 local government bodies.
Party chair Roshan Ranasinghe said they are done with the first round of house-to-house campaigns. Candidates have been made aware of how to carry out activities to improve the lives of the people.
“We have told candidates to follow the developed foreign country’s local government methods, and create a ‘Jana Sabha’ system to look into people’s needs,” he said.
Mr. Roshan lamented that apart from the president’s claims of intimidation of voters, the ruling party supporters are using intimidation tactics to foil their campaigns.
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