Polls show the country divided

The verdict the people gave on Saturday was clear: The Sinhalese have endorsed the war and the minority communities –Tamils and the Muslims – have registered their unhappiness.

The massive 70% of votes the government’s UPFA polled in the predominantly Sinhala districts of Kurunegala and Matale and the record 181,783 preferential votes UNP’s Chief Ministerial Candidate S.B. Dissanayake scored in the Kandy District are indicators.

“The Sinhalese voted overwhelmingly for President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s policy of war against terrorism, while the Tamils and the Muslims supported the UNP’s stand for a political solution,” a Tamil daily summed up the results of Saturday’s polls.

Only three Tamils were elected from the UPFA for both Central and North Western Provincial Councils while not a single Muslim candidate was elected for the four districts where the results were declared. Muslims may be among the UPFA winners in the Puttalam District where the election results were withheld.

The three Tamil candidates who got a place in the UPFA list from the Nuwara Eliya District – Rameswaram Maruthapandi, Ramasami Muttaiah and Velusami Radhakrisnan – were from the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), one of the three Tamil parties that contested under the UPFA banner. The CWC fielded seven candidates but only three won, that too with low support. Maruthapandi polled only 21,544 votes and the other two less. This poor showing was despite the strenuous campaign conducted by its leader Arumugam Thondaman, a cabinet minister.

The other Tamil parties failed to win any seat. The Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) led by cabinet minister P. Chandrasekaram, which fielded three candidates, suffered a humiliating defeat. That was the punishment handed to him for being with the government while pretending to espouse the Tamil cause. The party led by S. Arulsamy, a former education minister of the Central Provincial Council also was rejected by the Tamil voters.

The three Tamil groups that contested under the UNP banner scored impressive victories. Palani Alagan Digabaram, leader of the Workers’ National Union, polled 45,229 votes and came first in the UNP list. His party member Mylvaganam Udayakumar came third with 32,409 votes. Prakash Ganesan of the Democratic People’s Front, led by his brother Mano Ganeshan came second with 38,362 votes. Thus, three Tamils got the first three places in the UNP list in the Nuwara Eliya District. Two other Tamils were also elected in the UNP list, thus enabling the Tamils to win five of the seven seats gathered by the UNP.

In the Kandy District where Tamils and Muslims live in considerable numbers, the UPFA failed to get even one member returned. This was despite President Rajapaksa meeting the Muslim leaders of the area; the meeting was organised by a Muslim deputy minister from that area. One Tamil and four Muslims were among the 12 UNP candidates who won in the district. The two Muslims earned the second and third places.

The Muslim and Tamil votes enabled UNP’s National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake to poll the record preferential votes and Dissanayake acknowledged it. He told the Virakesari, “I thank the Tamil and Muslim voters for placing their trust in me.” They supported Dissanayake because of his consistent stand that a political solution is the answer to the ethnic problem.

A closer look at the results will reveal the voting pattern clearly. The government scored an unprecedented victory in the predominantly Sinhala polling divisions where it polled nearly 75% of the votes. In Wariapola it polled 76.96%, in Galgamuwa 75.77% and in Hiriyala 73.95% of the votes.

In the areas where Tamils live, things were different. In the Nuwera Eliya District the UPFA polled only 51.77% of the votes against UNP’s 45.36%. In the Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya polling division, the UNP polled 51.57%. The UPFA polled 45.17%.

In the Kandy District where the Muslim population is high, UPFA polled 59.41% against UNP’s 38.87%. In the Kandy polling division UNP topped with 53.12% with the UPFA polling 44.80%. The UNP won only in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya of the 39 polling divisions.

Mano Ganesan, leader of the Democratic People’s Front, whose party contested with the UNP said, “People have taught a lesson to the Tamil parties who contested in the government coalition.” Mano Ganeshan had been a relentless campaigner for the rights of the Tamil people.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary Hasan Ali commented: “I am speaking on behalf of the Muslim community. We support the elimination of terrorism. Yet, there should be a political solution to address the grievances of the minorities. The government is not doing it properly.”

Meanwhile, stories such as the one that spoke about LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan planning mass suicide attacks are hurting the Tamils. The Tamils note with satisfaction that their belief, that Pirapaharan will not run away, had been substantiated by that story.

The rift between Parliamentarian Karuna and Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan is another disturbing factor. The situation in the Eastern Province is going to be more unstable.

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram reiterated on Monday in Chennai the shift in the Indian policy over Sri Lanka, which announced on Thursday by President Pratibha Patil in her address to Parliament. Patil told Parliament: “We continue to support a negotiated political settlement in Sri Lanka within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka acceptable to all communities, including the Tamil community. I would appeal to the Government of Sri Lanka and to the LTTE to return to the negotiating table. This can be achieved if, simultaneously, the Government of Sri Lanka suspends its military operations and the LTTE declares its willingness to lay down arms and begin talks with the government.”

On Monday Chidambaram explained the Indian position further. He said: “Sri Lanka Government should end the war immediately. At the same time the Tamil Tigers should lay down arms. It is sufficient if the LTTE announces its willingness to lay down the arms. If it does so India will pressurise Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire.”

Chidambaram’s announcement was welcomed by Karunanidhi while Vaikoo called it another attempt at deception. The Sri Lanka Tamils Protection Movement has announced the continuance of its agitation. It had organised a human chain demonstration for yesterday to mobilise people.