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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 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.
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