The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) yesterday said the total number of election related incidents of violence in both the Central and North Western Provinces had reached 80 by 12 noon yesterday.
CMEV Co Convener Dr. P. Sarawanamuttu said in a statement yesterday that there have been a total of 48 major incidents and 32 minor incidents reported. There had been three incidents of the use of firearms reported. Over 49 incidents have been reported from Central province while 31were from the North Western Province. The Central Province saw the most violence with 19 incidents reported while the highest number of incidents in the North Western Province was seen in Puttalam with 16 incidents.
Over 56 complaints were received against the UPFA while four were against the UNP. Only one complaint was received against the JVP. Over 19 complaints had also been received against unidentified parties.
Polls violence on the rise: CMEV Daily Mirror - Colombo,Western,Sri Lanka ... the most violence with 19 incidents reported while the highest number of incidents in the North Western Province was seen in Puttalam with 16 incidents. ...
Zwischen den Fronten verzweifeln die gepeinigten Menschen Main Post - Germany Die meisten von ihnen leben immer noch in Auffanglagern im Puttalam Distrikt im Westen Sri Lankas. Eine massive Zuspitzung des Konflikts zeichnete sich seit ...
International tenders will be called in two months from foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the proposed Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Development Project (KITRDP) in the Puttalam district, along the north western coast of the country.
The total cost of investment will be Rs. 400 billion. The proposed Kalpitiya Tourism Zone is an eight-mile long strip of land in the Kalpitiya peninsula. "There are eight islands ranging from one acre with the total land extent being over 3,000 square miles.
Kalpitiya was a dream of the tourism industry and it would take a further two years for the first hotel to be opened
The Ministry of Tourism hopes to convert the area to an up market destination with golf courses, cable cars, amusement parks and night entertainment facilities," said Director General Sri Lanka Tourism, S. Kalaiselvam. He said that the Authority has already released 14 islands for the project.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is hoping to create 15,000 direct employment opportunities and 50,000 indirect employment opportunities under the the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Development Project.
The chain of hotels with a total capacity of 400 rooms will be developed by the Authority.
The Government hopes to expand infrastructure facilities such as road development, electricity, hospitals and condominiums similar to a mini city concept.
He also said that Kalpitiya was a dream of the tourism industry and it would take a further two years for the first hotel to be opened. "We expect this would attract high spending clients and the minimum room rate per night would be over US $ 400 per day," he said. The current average spending of a tourist is less than US $ 70.
The Wilpattu National Park is expected to be opened this year and this unspoilt wildlife national park would add value to Kalpitiya as a destination due to its close proximity location.
The total revenue generated from the industry last year was around US $ 380 million. This was from 438,000 arrivals with India bringing in the highest number. This year with peace on the horizon revenue is expected to top the US $ 400 million mark.
"Six-hundred new rooms were added last year despite a lean patch the country went through," he said.
Despite the global downturn the Board of Investment (BOI) had signed new agreements to build star-class hotels this year. "This also includes investments in the North East as well," he said.
"Some local investors too have shown an interest in investing in the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Development Project," said an official of Sri Lanka Tourism.
The Tourism Authority is also looking at a similar project at Dedduwa in Bentota. In addition the Trincomalee area will also be developed as an up market tourist destination.
International tenders to be called for Kalpitiya tourism project Ceylon Daily News - Ceylon,Sri Lanka International tenders will be called in two months from foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the proposed Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Development ...
I stumbled on a story in the Island publication the other day titled:
'I changed from cricket to marketing. That's a very easy way out – A mock hero' .
Revata S. Silva puts a nonsensical spin to Kumar Sangakkara switching over as brand ambassador of Hutch to Airtel.
"Ten days ago, when Sangakkara appeared in a TV advertisement promoting a new mobile phone service saying "I changed to … (the new mobile phone service name). This is a very easy plan." The rational viewers would have felt sick of the man. It was only the other day that the posh Kandyan sportsman, Sri Lanka's probable future captain, had promoted another mobile phone service in a series of ads. Money talks. The habit of selling knows no ethics," writes Revata. I consider my self to be a 'rational viewer'? How come I did not 'feel sick in the stomach'? I wonder what code of ethics were broken when a sportsman chose to take on a new commercial endorsement?
Revata wasn't done there, "From a corporate angle too, Sangakkara has created enemies by betraying ethically a customer base by stepping into the shoes of a rival party overnight.".
Somehow I don't think the author of the story knows enough of the situation to write such an insulting piece. Not only is he oblivious to fact, he does not give enough credit to the consumer. Somehow in his own warped view of reality he seems to forget that the consumer already knows the endorsement is of commercial nature. How many of us signed up to Hutch because Sanga said so? Now how many switched over form Hutch to Airtel because Sanga said so? When you paint the public as impressionable kids then the above argument may hold some ground. I wonder how Kumar Sangakkara managed to 'betray ethically' Hutch's customer base.
The realities are that after a 3 year contract with Hutch, it was Hutch who decided not to pursue an extension of the contract. It was not a case of Sangakkara switching sides overnight. Revata may have seen Hutch running ads of late, the contract however expired in august of 2008. Five months had passed prior to the signing of the new endorsement.
In a statement today to Island Cricket this is what Sanga had to say.
"Between July 2005 and August 2008 I had a contract with Hutch only. I enjoyed my three years working with Hutch and the relationship was mutually beneficial. When the contract expired, in August of last year, Hutch informed me that they would not be renewing the contract as they sought a fresh marketing direction. We parted on good terms and I wish them all the best for the future." - Kumar Sangakkara.
There is nothing unethical about making money through hard work and years of dedication. An International sportsman or athlete must perform consistently for years before even being considered for a commercial endorsement by a large corporate entity. It is only just that after many a sacrifice the player gets to benefit from the fame and reputation that he strove to achieve.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his government had no intention of privatizing any public enterprises.
"My government had not resorted to privatizing any government ventures in the past, and there are no plans of doing so even in the future", the President told a well attended meeting of teachers, bank employees and lawyers from Wayamba (North Western Province) at the Kandy Janadhipathi Mandhiraya on Friday afternoon.
He allayed fears of privatization of state-owned enterprises and blamed the previous UNP administration for not recruiting personnel to the public service.
The President said that not a single person was recruited to the public service during the UNP regime. "We have found employment for several thousands and increased the number of public sector cadres to approximately 1.2 million".
"We have not ignored the public service. Nor have we neglected it. Public servants must be given due regard and recognition and their services must be appreciated", he noted.
"We have placed an abundance of confidence on public servants that they will dedicate towards the protection and development of our country. We invite the public sector to contribute their might to the progress and protection of the country and assure our responsibility to safeguard their interests. We are all committed to ensure a bright and prosperous future for our children", President Rajapaksa said.
Those in the public service being educated and intelligent have already understood the importance of all barriers blocking the path to development and also the importance of the integrity of our motherland and the impediments to the unity of the nation, he said.
The President told the meeting that the very same factors that betrayed democracy in the country are now crying for democracy.
He said the Muslims in their thousands were driven from the North and the East by the terrorists. Those in the camps of Puttalam are the victims forced out from the North. The agreement entered into with the LTTE by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe betrayed not only democracy but also the rights of the people who lived in the region for generations.
While the Sinhala and Muslim communities lost their traditional abodes, the people who laid claim for their motherland were compelled to pay a tax to the terrorists to move about. The people who have suffered enough under the terror rule of the LTTE are desperately pleading to be rescued from the clutches of the terrorists. The people say they are even ready to go hungry if their freedom to live safely is restored, the President noted.
"The expectations of the innocent people are now realizing. We have been able to cage the terrorists to a very limited area. With the sacrifice of our heroic security forces, we will be able to witness the end of terrorism before long".
Some political leaders did not take the threat of terrorism so seriously. They were not keen to rid the country of terrorism. Such leaders did not give priority to their motherland. They could not even think that they should have a country first to do politics. Those leaders were concerned about safeguarding their positions. Their ambition was to protect their positions by pleasing foreign powers, he asserted.
"To us it is different. Our primary concern is the motherland. In our politics our No. 1 priority is the country. Second and third interests are also the country. Every decision is taken for the sake of the country and the people. We have no ambition to please the foreign powers and protect our positions. There is no ulterior motive of clinging to power. We do not want to go abroad leaving our motherland. We want to go back to the village and share the rural life with our villagers", the President stressed.
"Therefore, we must develop the country and allow our future generations to live a safe and contended life", the President noted.
The President referred to some of the development projects already completed and some which are in progress.
He said a financial allocation was granted by the World Bank towards the development of roads in Kegalle district, which he had observed during a recent visit to the area.
Many concrete roadways have been completed in rural Sri Lanka. Some are completed while some others are nearing completion without any foreign assistance, the President said.
He said the victory for UPFA at the Central and North Western Provincial election will be a support to the development process and the eradication of terrorism.
Ministers S. B. Nawinna, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Prof. G. L. Peiris also addressed the meeting. Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Governor (NWP) Tissa R. Balalle and Chief Minister (NCP) Bertie Premalal Dissanayake were also present.
Source :The Island
We have no ambition to please foreign powers and protect our ... Lanka Times - Colombo,Sri Lanka Those in the camps of Puttalam are the victims forced out from the North. The agreement entered into with the LTTE by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ...
Cutting the ground under the Opposition's feet (Part II) The Island (subscription) - Columbo,Sri Lanka But nothing could have been more ridiculous as bringing Puttalam District UNP MP Range Bandara's ex-wife on to the government's stage. ...
The North Western Province or Wayamba has recorded the worst election marred by violence and mayhem in post-independence Sri Lanka.
The infamous Wayamba 1999 election is still considered to be the biggest black mark in Sri Lanka's violence riddled election history.
Among the many incidents of violence and mayhem reported at the 1999 Wayamba elections was when in Puttalam a UNP polling agent who refused to budge from his desk was mercilessly assaulted allegedly by PA supporters and a politico from Colombo who reportedly went there to stuff the ballot boxes.
In another incident, armed gangs kidnapped a younger brother of a female JVP polling agent on the day of the elections. More than four JVPers were abducted. Almost all the JVP polling agents were sent to Kurunegala leaving the party's then chief ministerial candidate Bimal Ratnayake in a helpless position.
According to reports following the election, it was revealed that out of a total of 830 polling stations in the Kurunegala District, 141 had been attacked during polling hours. In the Puttalam District, out of 300 polling stations, 71 had been attacked, making the total 212.
Also from three other polling stations, nine ballot boxes had been hijacked while being transported to the counting centres, and some were found burnt.
Following reports submitted by senior presiding officers, the Elections Commissioner had said he intended making an order canceling the polling at three polling stations of which the ballot boxes did not reach the counting centre and that he intended rejecting 47,000 votes that were suspected of having been stuffed into ballot boxes.
However, the Elections Commissioner later changed his stance and said he did not intend annulling the polling of the centres that had been raided by armed gangs.
UNP's K.N. Choksy at the time had pointed out that 212 out of a total of 1130 polling stations constitutes 18.5 per cent of the total poll and argued that it was adequate enough to cancel the entire election. He had said the officers of the Elections Commissioner's Department had detected 48,000 votes in stuffed ballot boxes, but there could have been much more.
Choksy had reportedly demanded that the entire election be declared null and void and that results must not be announced. The JVP had also supported this view.
The Elections Commissioner however went ahead and announced the election results.
At the same time a UNP supporter from the Kurunegala District had filed a fundamental rights application requesting the Supreme Court to grant an interim order directing the Elections Commissioner not to gazette the results and also to make a final order after the hearing, declaring the elections null and void and directing that fresh elections be held.
The Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Ranjith Deeraratne, S. W. B. Wadugodapitiya and Asoka Gunawardene granted leave to proceed but did not grant the interim order directing the Elections Commissioner not to gazette the election results.
Muslims prefer to stay put in Puttalam
A large number of Muslims evicted from Mannar and Jaffna by the LTTE during the height of the ethnic conflict have settled down in the Puttalam District. They too will be casting their votes at the provincial election.
These Muslims after having lived in temporary shelters for a long time are now in the process of rebuilding their lives in land plots allocated to them in Puttalam.
Although the war is now nearing an end, these people say that they do not wish to return to their homes in the north, as they had little or no faith on the permanency of the military victories achieved.
"What's the point in going back? If it happens again we will have to return and then we won't even have this piece of land," they say.
Naleem who was evicted from Mannar 19 years ago says that he arrived in Puttalam after the army had brought him and his family to Kalpitiya.
Naleem works at the saltern for a daily wage ranging between Rs. 250-300.
"We prefer to stay. We have now built a house and our children are schooling here," he said. He expresses doubts on the ability of the forces to hold on to the land that has been captured by the government.
"Without a permanent solution, we do not have confidence to leave," Naleem said.
Hameed, who has also lived in Puttalam since 1997 said he preferred to stay here.
"Even if we go, we will have to come back. We are not sure of the situation there," he said.
According to him, almost every Muslim who was evicted from the North, preferred to stay back in Puttalam.
Flashback to Wayamba 1999 Sunday Leader (subscription) - Columbo,Sri Lanka Among the many incidents of violence and mayhem reported at the 1999 Wayamba elections was when in Puttalam a UNP polling agent who refused to budge from ...
War victories become deciding factor though people face economic hardship
By Kelum Bandara and Padma Kumari
From the sun-soaked fishing villages of Puttalam to lush coconut groves in Kurunegala, each political party involved in the Wayamba Provincial Council election is taking time to reflect on the long campaign as the February 14th election date now draws closer .
In the furthest corner of the Puttalam district, the weather remains sunny as in other parts of Wayamba, and posters of the candidates of all hues have sprung up on the trees, walls and poles. Yet, people living in the coastal villages are not in a sunny mood at all since they have to grapple with a myriad of problems pertaining to their livelihood, especially in the fisheries industry. For the marginalized fishermen, their earning is sufficient only for their daily survival.It was D. Lakshman of Kappaladi, Kalpitiya who shared these sentiments to Daily Mirror. Lakshman, a father of one child was preparing his fishing nets to be laid in the deep sea later in the evening.
"We have no sophisticated fishing vessels, and are dependent on big businessmen for them. So, we are compelled to sell our fish harvest to them, not at a price determined by the market conditions but by them. We are always poor as a result," he said.
Like most other rural villages, his village is also to be provided with electricity facilities. The access roads are to be repaired. The politicians have made promises at numerous occasions to address these issues, but the problems still remain unnoticed
Suddenly, a toothy, triumphant smile appeared on his face when we directed a question at him on the war situation. Lakshman who introduced himself as a floating voter became exuberant when commenting on the war.
"As far as what we see and hear through the media, the war is being brought to a successful completion by the government. We salute them for it," he said while his fellow villagers approved his words in unison.
The military gains are obviously the foremost element in determining how voters will cast their ballot at the upcoming election. Capitalizing on the situation for electoral gains, the ruling UPFA candidates straddle the fence on this issue in Wayamba while the opposition-the UNP and the JVP have sought to appeal to voters on economic and special issues. Yet, the two parties do not forget to give the credit of the military victories to the security forces.
The SLFP-led coalition has ruled the Wayamba Provincial Council for the last two terms, and the people have reservations about its competence in tackling general issues, confronting the province, ranging from education to road development. This time,such issues have taken a back seat of their campaign trail with the war victories being the most politically advantageous thing in their stock.
The wide media coverage given to the successful war on terror seems to have drilled national feelings into the heads of the people of all sectors. The campaigning, as a result, has become a cakewalk for the UPFA, and the UNP and JVP is seen finding it extremely difficult to the counter the government's propaganda machinery driven by political orators such as MPs Wimal Weerawansa and Ministers Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has also addressed a few election rallies adding extra vigour to the campaign.
The impact seems to have shaken even the permanent vote bank of the UNP which is generally considered inflexible come what may.
Another fisherman B. Teepan Perera of Kappaladi is one such person who said that he is eagerly waiting to vote for the betel symbol on February 14, for the first time in his over fifty-year old life. The reason is the government successfully cornering the LTTE to a small territory in the North. He is optimistic that terrorism will be eradicated very soon making room for the posterity to live in peace and harmony.
Puttalam is an agriculturally productive area with paddy and vegetable being cultivated lushly on its fertile soil. It is so fertile that farmers grow vegetable varieties such as cabbage, beetroots and onions, which are usually cultivated in the cooler climes of Nuwara-Eliya. Using the drip irrigation system to water the tender vegetable plants, farmers of Kalpitiya and Norohcholai in the district are hard at work as usual nowadays. This election has little bearing for these hardworking people depending on noone for theri livilihood.
But, they have a message to convey to the policy makers at this election. It is the high fertilizer prices. Unlike paddy farmers, vegetable growers are not entitled to any fertilizer subsidy.
"We have to pay Rs. 5000 for a bag of fertilizer which is issued at a subsidised price of Rs.350 for paddy farmers. It is very expensive for us. There should be fair play in this case," said C.P. Earvin Michael who grows guava as a commercial crop in his home garden.
Philip Edward is also a fisherman from the same area having different political views under the present circumstances. In addition to fishing, he runs a dry fish stall.
"This country has been governed by both the SLFP-led alliances and the UNP. But, no progressive economic policies have been implemented ensuring social equity. So, I chose to vote for the JVP," he said wiping the perspiration on his forehead.
Among the outgoing members of the Wayamba Provincial Council, some have earned a reputation for the efficient delivery of public work in the electorates. People, at the same time strike a note of criticism on the others for breaching promises.
A UNP MP who crossed over to the government and became a deputy minister has also become unpopular among the fisherfolk. Fishermen allege that this deputy minister sold the fishing vessels for them at Rs. 50,000 despite them being a donation from a certain NGO to be distributed among tsunami victims in the south. According to people, it is alleged that he has pocketed some money through this fraudulent exercise.
Apart from basking in the glory of military victories, people say, the politicians are expected to resolve the most grievous issues confronting them. People noted that a few wealthy fishermen use certain fishing nets called 'Surukku' in their own jargon to get big catches resulting in a drop in the marine fish population available for small fishermen to harvest.
They demand a ban on these fishing methods. They also ask for a subsidy from the government for fuel and other fishing equipment so that they would not depend on businessmen.
In the meantime, people in Kurunegala are busily gathering their paddy harvest. Some farmers have already finished the task and issued their produce to the market. The political parties generally try to score brownie points on the issues such as the low prices of the agricultural prices. But, for the opposition, there seems to be no such issue prevailing currently in Kurunegala, one of the largest paddy cultivating districts in the country.
A paddy kilo of the Nadu variety fetches Rs. 36 in the market today, and the samba variety Rs.40 in the area today.
"It is a satisfactory price for the farmers under the present circumstances. So, farmers have not been affected by the present high cost of living. Even a casual labourer can get Rs. 600 for a day now," said S. Mahinda, a paddy trader from Nikaweratiya.
His views were asserted by A.P.S. Aloka Bandara, a housewife of a farmer family of Kirindigolla, Nikaweratiya. She said that her family did not have any hardship in their simple lifestyle due to earning money from the reasonable paddy prices.
"We earn a quite a lot of money by paddy farming. We supplement our income by growing corn, chilli and vegetables as well," she said.
The fertilizer subsidy and the high paddy prices in recent years seem to have boosted the farmers' economy in Wayamba. People belonging to all the communities have started cultivating paddy lands which had remained barren for a number of years in areas like Wariyapola.
Along the Wariyapola- Chilaw road, there lies one such stretch of paddy land close to the Hettipola town in the Panduwasnuwara electorate. S.L.M. Deen is a Muslim farmer who has cultivated paddy in his field after five years this time, reaping the harvest proudly."Because of the fertilizer subsidy, we are able to grow paddy today. We cultivated this land after five years," he said pointing to the labourers working on his field.
While the labourers harvest the paddy , he was squatting on the trailer of a lorry along with a few of his friends. They were gossiping on the elections to the Wayamba Provincial Council when we suddenly dropped in from our vehicle to ask for their views.
It was obvious that the extreme rhetoric of the ruling party politicians had gone well with the masses during the end of the campaign trail. Deen is in a triumphant mood over the military victories and vowed to vote for the betel symbol.
Even for those who do not own paddy lands, the cost of living is not a critical issue. Most people in the electorates such as Kuliyapitiya, Panduwasnuwara and Wariyapola own at least one acre of coconut land. A coconut cultivation of one acre provides at least 700-800 nuts for a month. The wholesale coconut price is Rs. 15 -15.50 a nut today and people can easily get a satisfactory amount to make ends meet in a village where necessities are limited compared to urban life.
The war is the main election plank of the UPFA which is an amalgam of various political parties, and it is slated to get votes in abundance. The party has launched its campaign according to a well-strategic plan, and its orators have struck the emotive chord of voters capitalizing on the fame of the military achievements.A vote for the betel symbol is a vote for the liberation of the country from the terrorism is the slogan forced down the throat of the ordinary voters in Wayamba. After a long trek down the camping, the UPFA has made headway, and is likely to return to the council with a thumping majority since the government is at the peak of its popularity today.
Yet, there is tough competition among the the UPFA candidates for the highest number of preferential votes in both Kurunegala and Puttalam. This time, there is no official announcement on the chief ministerial candidate. Late Minister D.M. Dissanayake's wife Indrani Dasanayake is telling the voters in the Puttalam district that she will be made the chief minister in case she gets the highest number of votes. Former Wayamba opposition leader Asoka Wadigamangawa who crossed over to the UPFA and is contesting the election on its ticket is also drawing the similar line.
Former Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe carries out his campaign saying he will be the chief minister for the next time as well. The campaign is hotting up in this manner with several candidates vying for the chief minister's post. The tussle among the UPFA candidates for preferential votes is also strong because several ministers have put forward their kith and kin for the election.
Pics by Samantha Perera
Wayamba : UPFA rides the wave Daily Mirror - Colombo,Western,Sri Lanka It was D. Lakshman of Kappaladi, Kalpitiya who shared these sentiments to Daily Mirror. Lakshman, a father of one child was preparing his fishing nets to be ...
Somehow I don't think the author of the story knows enough of the situation to write such an insulting piece. Not only is he oblivious to fact, he does not give enough credit to the consumer. Somehow in his own warped view of reality he seems to forget that the consumer already knows the endorsement is of commercial nature. How many of us signed up to Hutch because Sanga said so? Now how many switched over form Hutch to Airtel because Sanga said so? When you paint the public as impressionable kids then the above argument may hold some ground. I wonder how Kumar Sangakkara managed to 'betray ethically' Hutch's customer base.
