TMVP, Govt. must deliver for a brighter Batti

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) emerged victors of the violence-free local government polls in the Batticaloa District to take control of all eight pradeshiya sabhas and the solitary Batticaloa Municipal Council, which it contested under the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

The stage is now set for unfettered development and the TMVP must rise to the occasion to deliver the goods, and prove it can work for the benefit of a hapless people, who have witnessed only violence and deprivation during the past two decades.

There has been little or no development for decades, not even during times of peace.

The people of these areas have undergone untold suffering on account of the spiralling violence, with no end in sight. Even after Karuna Amman broke away from the mainstream LTTE, promising a better future for the eastern Tamils, the district witnessed a high level of internecine warfare.

While we salute the winning party, we urge its members to go beyond basking in glory and put their collective shoulder to the wheel and make the wheel of fortune a reality for the masses.

The government announced that the 101 elected members would be given two million rupees each for development work in their areas. This move would certainly be an impetus for development, provided these councillors act in honesty.

Like the singing fish of Batticaloa, the humans in the district, dehumanised by decades of war, could be made to sing for joy, reaping the benefits of development. The denizens, from either side, would continue to live by the law of the jungle, devouring and destroying life.Let the bloody violence that soaked the district be a thing of the past, with the peaceful election only the bright beginning for Batti.

We also salute the TMVP for largely restraining itself, despite arms at its disposal. The election staff, together with the Police, STF and security forces must be hailed for ensuring a violence-free poll.

Of course, there were isolated acts of rigging as alleged by the EPDP-led alliance that included PLOTE and a faction of the EPRLF. An EPDP spokesman reportedly said the party contested the polls to prevent mass-scale rigging by the TMVP. There is so much truth in the adage, ‘set a thief to catch a thief.’

In the Municipal Council, the EPDP-led coalition that contested as an independent group is set to act as a powerful opposition with six seats, as against the 11 won by the ruling party that included the TMVP. This would further strengthen democracy.

In the pradeshiya sabhas alone, the TMVP won 61 seats.

Barring the Koralepattu, the Koralepattu North and Manmunepattu Pradeshiya Sabhas, the EPDP-led Independent Group secured a few seats in the rest of the local councils.

Despite the threats, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress contested and won a solitary seat in the Municipal Council and two each in Eravur, Koralepattu and Manmunepattu Sabhas.

A 58% overall voter turnout in the Batticaloa District was a good sign since it is an area that was wracked by violence and war, which is fraught with fear and uncertainty.

Also, in Batti, democracy both prevailed and failed.

That the local polls were held after 14 years was a victory for democracy, which however, was restricted given the limited choice at the disposal of the voters.

The mainstream political parties - the Tamil National Alliance as well as the United National Party boycotted the election for reasons best known to them.

Had their members contested, the results would have been more representative of the people. But, the chances are that there would have been a greater deal of violence.

In the end, the Batticaloa local polls stand out when compared to the violence and rigging at past elections both in the north and south.