Digamadulla ballot paper will be the longest one; 660 candidates in fray for seven seats

There are 660 candidates contesting in the 7th Parliamentary elections in the Digamadulla electoral districts where seven parliamentary seats are available.

Candidates from 18 political parties and 48 independent groups are contesting in the elections. According the Elections Commission the Digamadulla ballot paper will be the longest one – 16 X 13 inches long.

Digamadulla is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created under the 1978 Constitution of the country. It is also conterminous with the administrative district of Ampara located in the Eastern province.

According to the electoral register of the district, there is a total 420,835 registered voters. However, it is understood that out of them there are about 139,000 Muslims, 138,000 Sinhalese and 70,000 Tamil voters. Balance voters are not accounted for.

In the 2004 Parliamentary elections along with two ministers Feiral Ismail Ashraff , A.L.M. Athaulla and L.G. Vasantha Piyatissa (JVP), contested in the UPFA ticket and won.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem and M C. Mohamed Faizal won in the SLMC party ticket. P. Dayaratne who won as a UNPer and K.Pathmanath was the TULF winner. But Pathmanathan died on 21st May 2009 and he was succeeded by Thomas Thangathurai William.

Later Mohamed Faizal and P. Dayaratne joined the government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Faizal was sworn in as a Deputy Minister of Scientific Affairs and Dayaratne as the Minister of Plan Implementation.

In the seventh Parliamentary elections now Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, a retired Navy Officer and Director General of the Civil Defense Force, Ministers P. Dayaratne, Feiral Ismail Ashraff , A.L.M. Athaulla, Karuna Amman’s nominee K. Krishnakumar alias Iniyabarathi are the leading contenders in the UPFA.

UNP and SLMC candidates are contesting in the UNF banner. Those in the UNK ticket are :
M.I.M. Mansoor – Chairman Sammanthurai Pradeshiya Sabah, Faizal Cassim, H.M.M. Haris – Kalmunai Mayor and Former MP for Kalmunai.

M. Mayan M. Musthapa - former Deputy Minister of Higher Education, who was a presidential candidate in the last Presidential election and later withdrew his candidature on behalf of Sarath Fonseka.

Hassan Ali -- UNP Organizer of Sammanthurai and Daya Gamage, Provincial Council Member are few of the UNP candidates.

In the TULF ticket contesting in the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi symbol are Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan who was one of the two TULF’s National-list Parliamentarians, Kandiah Vadivel, Kulasekaran Mahendran --Opposition leader of the Kalmunai Urban Council, Thomas Thangathural Williams MP in the last Parliament, P.H.P. Piyasena – former President of the Aladi Vembu Pradesha Sabah are some of the leading contenders.

In the last Presidential elections held on January 26, the UPFA candidate managed to poll a total of 146, 912 votes, whereas the common Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka polled 153,105 votes. But presently the Oppositions are fractured. UNP and SLMC are together contesting as UNF, while TULF is contesting separately. Also the JVP along with Sarath Fonseka’s people contesting again separately as Democratic National Alliance.

According to the ground level survey, it is learnt that UPFA will be able to win 4 seats out of the total of 7 seats available. The UNF is expected to win 2 seats whereas, TULF is facing a tough competition in the form of Iniyabarathi, a former militant and with Karuna Amman. After his best electioneering performance in the Eastern Provincial Council, he was made the Presidential Advisor. It is not sure whether the TNA would be able to face him in the Digamadulla electorate.

Therefore, the victory of TNA to get even a single seat in this electoral district is very unlikely, the observers opine.

- Asian Tribune -