East would be united under one banner - UPFA Ampara District leader

Rasika Somarathna in Digamadulla

AMPARA: With only seven days remaining for the PC polls in the East, the UPFA district leader for Ampara, Shantha Premarathne said yesterday that there won't be any Muslim, Tamil or Sinhala areas in the East in the future and the whole province would be united under one banner.

As the UPFA campaign gathered speed more and more UNP supporters were rallying round the UPFA to sustain the momentum of the Eastern resurgence, Premarathne said. Addressing several pocket meetings in Padiyatalawa, Premarathne urged all communities to unite under the UPFA banner to propel the East towards peace and prosperity after being under LTTE tyranny for over two decades.

The UPFA candidate while pointing out that many UNP leaders in the area had pledged support for the Government's cause including the two UNP members from Uhana PS who joined the UPFA during the May Day rally in Dehiattakandiya, urged others to follow suit as the present Government was the only alternative to sustain a new dawn in East.

Both Muslims and Tamils who were subjected to untold hardships during the LTTE's occupation has now realised that a vote for the UNP would mean a vote for the Tigers which could reverse the gains in the East and push it once again towards the former dark era.

Thus both these communities would vote for the UPFA enmasse as they have now realised this truth and UNP-SLMC combination who were preaching democracy in the East is engaged in a farce to gain cheap political mileage, he charged.

All are involved in hectic last minute propaganda campaign in Ampara to woo voters with rallies and pocket meetings being a daily occurrence.

Hambantota District UNP, MP Sajith Premadasa addressing a political meeting in support of its contestants in Uhana yesterday, charged that the Government's recent efforts to initiate several development programmes in the East was mere rhetoric to woo voters.

These agenda's would not be carried forward after the elections, he said while noting that the UNP was the only party which could usher in democracy in the East.

He also said that 50% of the people in Uhana did not have electricity while roads were in a bad shape, making transportation a very difficult task.

He urged voters to propel the UNP to power at the May 10 election to change the trend and give a new meaning to the Eastern resurgence.

The JVP too is carrying an aggressive campaign in their usual colourful ways but has mainly confined the propaganda to pocket meetings and door to door campaigning in the Ampara district. Meanwhile election authorities said that all measures were afoot for a free and fair election which is to be held in 430 centres in the district.

They also have appointed 6,578 officers to man polling duties. Security too has been beefed up and only 26 related incidents have been reported so far with a majority of them being minor, the Authorities said.

In Digamadulla which houses a total of 409,308 voters, 11 political parties and 22 Independent Groups are in the fray to appoint 14 members for the Eastern Provincial Council.