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| Friday, 16 November 2001 |
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Politics | |
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Mahanuwara | Matale | Until its capitulation in 1815 by the British, this idyllic city in the central hills, above the Balana - pass was the capital of the last Sinhala Kingdom. At the heart of the city - fondly called Senkadagalapura - is one the most sacred Buddhist places of worship, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth ("Dalada Maligawa") where the tooth relic of the Buddha is still protected. Every year in the month of July, the tooth relic is paraded along the streets of this beautiful city in a pageant that has been knowledged as one of the most colourful and unique in the world. Flanking the Dalada Maligawa is the tranquil Bogambara Wewa engineered by king Wimaladharmasuriya doubly enhancing the beauty of this ancient Royal City. A few miles away lies one of the most prestigious academic institutions of Asia, the University of Peradeniya founded in 1942. The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens well-known for its biodiversity is yet another the world landmark. The Embakkke Devalaya internationally acknowledged for its ancient woodcarvings lies deep in the district, close to Gampola. Though the city of Kandy is blessed with the Tooth Temple and, of course, a cool climate the district remains shalked by the inherited problems of Sri Lankan State. However, its comparatively developed infrastructure and health care and education facilities have offered majority of its citizenry a better living standard than people in most of other districts. The isolated mountainous villages in the forgotten corners of the district, where the benefits of modernisation have yet to reach need the urgent attention of policy makers. Contesting Political Parties United National Party, Eksath Sinhala Maha Sabhava, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, National Development Front, New Left Front, People's Alliance, Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna, Muslim United Liberation Front, Ruhunu Janatha Party, Sri Lanka National Front, Sri Lanka Progressive Front, Sihala Urumaya, Sinhalaye Maha Sammata Bhoomi Putra Pakshaya and Six Independent Groups. Registered Voters Galagedara - 48,642 Harispattuwa - 126,815 Patha Dumbara - 67,327 Uda Dumbara - 49,524 Teldeniya - 37,879 Kundasale - 70,383 Hewaheta - 57,850 Senkadagala - 61,677 Mahanuwara - 35,351 Yatinuwara - 66,518 Udunuwara - 65,863 Gampola - 77,854 Nawalapitiya - 72,986 Total registered - 838,687 Development through accelerated projects-Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte [PA] The Minister of Land, Irrigation and Power and Deputy Minister of Defence Gen. Ratwatte pledges to develop infrastructure, electricity and drinking water supplies. Claiming that he has done his best to develop infrastructure. Gen. Ratwatte promises to continue on the same course. Identifying unemployment as one of the most serious problems in the district, the Army officer turned politician plans to launch a massive development project with special attention to the neglected rural areas. Rural infrastructure development will be given the highest priority. In a bid to increase job opportunities, Gen Ratwatte pledges to expand the Pallekele Free Trade Zone. The development will be further enhanced by the Colombo - Kandy super highway. He pledges that this will be an "accelerated" development program too. Once a brilliant ruggerite who played for Kandy Sports Club, Gen. Ratwatte says he will pay special attention to sports development. Claiming that he has already developed eighteen playgrounds in the district, he promises to maintain the progression. Educated at Trinity College, Ratwatte was a member of the Kandy Municipal Council from 1966 to 1971 and from 1979 to 1989. Having served for 14 years in the army's regular and volunteer forces, he resigned as a Lieutenant Colonel. Later he was promoted to the rank of General by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Having been the Administrative Secretary of the SLFP since 1968, he entered Parliament as a national list MP in 1989. Gen.Ratwatte was re-elected MP in the 1994 General Election and appointed Minister of Irrigation, Power and Energy and the Deputy Minister of Defence. Plan to attract genuine investors-Tissa Attanayake [UNP] A student activist turned politician Tissa Attanayake will focus on an extensive program to solve land, unemployment and poverty which he claims are major threats to develop the district. Claiming that lack of land has kept the public without their own homes, he pledges to distribute acrages of infertile and unproductive land now being maintained as plantations. He says, more industries related to resources and raw materials available will be set up to tackle unemployment problem effectively. A well organised program will be launched to attract 'genuine investors' especially to the Pallekele Free Trade Zone, he says. He promises the farmers a better market oriented strategies for their crops and better prices for their products. Complaining that 40 per cent of the population in the district is in the darkness despite its contribution to power generation he pledges the supply of electricity for the remote parts of the district too. Completing his primary education at the Uduwawala Vidyalaya, he later moved on to the Sanghabodhi Maha Vidyalaya, Minipe from which he entered the Kelaniya University and earned a commerce special degree. He was an executive officer of the Fisheries Harbour Corporation from 1985 to 1987. He first entered Parliament in 1989 at the age of 28 and was appointed Higher Education
Minister in August 1993. Later he was appointed the Minister in charge of Universities
until the general election in 1994. Matale, a district of mysttic beauty, lies at the slopes of the Knuckles mountain range. Internationally acclaimed for its biodiversity and orchids endemic to Sri Lanka, the beautiful hills, assailed by deforestation for agriculture development are fighting a battle for survival. A few miles away is the ancient Buddhist temple of Aluwiharaya, where the 'Tripitaka' was transcribed during the Polonnaruwa era. Far away is the city of Dambulla, one of the busiest commercial centres of the country. It is at Dambulla where farmers and wholesale traders of the Central and North Central province meet their customers who come from all over the country to buy their produce in bulk to be retailed in Colombo and the rest of the country. Sigiriya, the fortress of King Kashyapa rises close to the North Central Province border. Built by Kashyapa - who moved his residence to this giant 400-foot rock fortress to avoid a possible invasion by his enraged brother Mugalan. Sigiriya now attracts hundreds of thousands of local and foreign tourists. The problems of the city are not different from those of any other less fortunate Sri Lankan district, whose majority is neglected because of their geographical location. Poor infrastructure, education and health care facilities in the isolated mountainous villages of the district need the urgent attention of policy makers. Unemployment among youth is high and the stagnant local economy is incapable of creating new employment opportunities. A well designed development project with special attention to the rural area is the need for the revival of the district. Contesting political parties United National Party, United Lalith Front, Eksath Sinhala Maha Sabhava, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, National Development Front, New Left Front, People's Alliance, Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna, Ruhunu Janatha Party, Liberal Party, Sri Lanka National Front, Sri Lanka Muslim Kachchi, One Independent Group. Registered Voters Dambulla
- 102,302 Dream of a food Exporting Zone-Janaka Bandara Tennakoon [PA] Police officer turned politician Janaka Bandara Tennakoon is satisfied with the development work during the PA regime and pledges for more after the polls. He claims the PA had improved the desolated district to a great extent during the past seven years. The Dedicated Economic Centre constructed at a cost of Rs. 110 million at Dambulla is one of the biggest achievements of the Matale District he claims. The centre where farmer meets trader has contributed to the improvement of entreprenuership tremendously, he says. He pledges to expand this further with a new Rs. 250 million export zone which will have processing and packing for dehydrated fruits and vegetables. This will ensure that the produce of the district will reach the international markets. The Government has really improved the conditions of a community 90 per cent of which are farmers. In addition there is the visible development of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, hospitals and schools. Underlining unemployment as a biggest problem he says the Government's decision to create and enhance opportunities for the agricultural sector has paid rich dividends. The ultimate goal of the Government is to boost agro and graphite based industries for which the raw materials are available in the District. "We also want to create a disciplined society within the District which is rid of violence," he says. Educated at the Dharmaraja College Kandy he joined the Police service and rose to the position of Headquarters Inspector. He is a son of former Minister T.B. Tennakoon and a brother of SLFP stalwart Yasaratne Tennakoon. More agro-based industries-Alick Aluvihare [UNP] An agriculturist and businessman turned politician Alick Aluvihare has a vision for developing this agricultural district by establishing more agro based industries. He emphasises the necessity of increasing cattle and poultry farms for proper utilisation of desolated bare lands, thus tackling the unemployment problem. Complaining that the money allocated for development projects in the district had not been utilised in a reliable manner during the PA regime, he pledges proper utilisation of funds. Underlining the problems faced by students due to lack of good schools he pledges the establishment of more national schools. He says students have to hold up their education due to a lack of educational facilities. Claiming that the neglected road network has not been given proper attention by the Road Development Authority or the Provincial Council he pledges to upgrade those roads as a matter of highest priority for the development of the district. Since a large number of people depend on handicrafts he pledges for a better market for their products. The tourism industry in the district will also be improved on the basis of up-to-date data. Aluvihare entered national and local politics 1947 after his education at Vijaya Vidyalaya, Matale. In 1961 he was elected MP for Matale during a by election consequent on the death of his uncle Bernard Aluvihare. He was Mayor of Matale. He was the Post and Telecommunications Minister in 1990 and Minister of Ports and Shipping in 1991.
General Election Results
- 10.10.2000 [General Election - 10.10.2000 : Previous page] |
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