General elections: TNA may not hold fort in Vanni

Vanni – a former stronghold of the LTTE -- the second largest electoral district in the Northern Province, consisting of six parliamentary seats, may not be the fort of TNA.

In the forthcoming election Vanni scenario would be different from what it was in the 2004 parliamentary general elections.

Last time the electorate was almost under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Vanni electoral district consists, Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu and a big section of Kilinochchi.

The Vanni electorate according to 2008 electoral register is 266, 975 voters. There will be 209 polling stations and 12 counting centres.

Though many of the voters are in the internally displaced welfare centres, it is expected Commissioner of Elections is making necessary arrangements to provide them the opportunity to vote in the elections.

In the forthcoming elections 16 political parties and 12 independent groups are contesting. A total of 253 candidates are in the fray to win the six parliamentary seats in the elections.

In the 2004 parliamentary elections, TNA bagged 5 seats and one by Abdul Rishad Bathiudeen of the UNP. However, in 2005 Abdul Rishad Bathiudeen joined the government and was sworn in as the cabinet minister. Today he is contesting as the leading candidate of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance – the ruling party.

In the 2004 elections, Selvam Adaikalanathan, the president of the TELO, Vino Norahathalingham, Sivasakthi Ananthan, Sivananthan Kishor and Sathasivam Kanagaratnam won in the TNA ticket.

This time Sivananthan Kishor and Sathasivam Kanagaratnam have joined the ruling UPFA and contesting from the Vanni electoral district.

The TNA has been weakened significantly as the UPFA is posing a bigger threat in this election.

Vanni is a multi-lingual electoral district where Sinhalese have a sizable majority of votes in the Vavuniya Government Agent division. Other than thyat in Mannar, majority of the voters are Muslims.

Recently President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in Mannar and declared open a Japan Friendship bridge that connects the Mannar Island with the mainland.

The majority of the voters in the Vanni districts are those affected by the LTTE terrorism.

When the LTTE was defeated in the humanitarian operations in May 2009, more than 275,000 people were displaced and are camped in the IDP welfare centres. Today several thousands have been resettled in Vanni. Their pain and mental agony are still fresh in their minds, for they bore direct witness to the destructions and killings let loose by the LTTE terrorist organization.

They the worst sufferers need to be rehabilitated first, given assistance to reconstruct their houses, tend their paddy fields, and provided with fishing gears to go on with their livelihood.

The government is seized of the situation and is doing all it should at post haste speed.

Therefore in this election a big swing is expected in the mindsets of the voters of Vanni.

According to an indication, UPFA is expected to win 3 seats, TNA 2 seats and PLOTE one seat in the coming election.

- Asian Tribune -