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This is a land devastated by a ruthless war, which displaced its people, destroyed their villages and forced them to seek asylum in refugee camps. The signs of devastation by the war are visible everywhere in the region - damaged schools, abandoned farming lands, damaged worship places, desolate irrigation works and shattered hopes of the people. Vavuniya is the capital of the district. And a few kilo metres from its north lies the final security checkpoint of the Sri Lanka Army; the land beyond there is called an “uncleared area” i.e. it is under the LTTE control. Sacred Madhu Church lies deep in the uncleared area. At the heart of the city of Vavuniya, apart from a number of strategic bases of the military forces, are some of the most populated refugee camps in this country. The ongoing war has stalled the region’s development. The local farmer pleads for marketing facilities, the war has disrupted all links of this agricultural district with the South, which was its principal market before the eruption of the ethnic conflict in 1983. Poor education and health care facilities results in the decline of the living standard of the population. Unemployment is high; reputation as a war zone has kept investors away from the city. Peace is what the people in this war ravaged district are yearning for. It is imperative to them and they do believe it has solutions to many of their socio-economic problems. Contesting Parties Eelam People’s Democratic Party, United National Party, Eksath Lanka Podujana Pakshaya, United Socialist Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Tamil United Liberation Front, New Left Front, People’s Alliance, Democratic People’s Liberation Front, Ruhunu Janatha Party, Sihala Urumaya and Eight Independent Groups. Registered Voters Better tomorrow for agriculture-Premarathne Sumathipala [PA] PA Vanni district leader pledges to develop the economy through an accelerated development program. He plans to develop the inland fisheries industry through constructing fish ponds and tanks and setting up a fish packeting centre. The “Grama Sevaka Niladhari” turned politician plans to develop local fruit cultivation and set up a factory. He pledges to provide Government assistance, in the form of financial and technical to the local fruit cultivators. He also has plans to develop animal husbandry in the region. He plans to provide resettled families with cows and goats. He pledges to accelerate the resettlement program. Pointing to the construction of Weli-Oya canal, and renovation of desolate irrigation works as the achievements of his tenure as an MP, Sumathipala, who is also the first Sinhala MP in the district pledges to continue in the same development course. In a bid to find solutions to the shortage of teachers, he proposes to recruit educated youth from the locality. He pledges to upgrade rural schools and health care facilities. Development of the Vavuniya Hospital is one of his priorities. Educated at Gamini Vidyalaya Vavuniya, Premarathne Sumathipala was the Vice Chairman of the Vavuniya South Sinhala Division Multi-Purpose Co-operative Union and a member of farmer committees in Madukanda agrarian service area. Extensive program for displaced-Noordeen Mashoor [UNP] A businessman turned politician Noordeen Mashoor emphasises the necessity of talking with the LTTE to bring peace to the country through a negotiated settlement. He pledges for an extensive program in the Vanni district to resettle the displaced civilians due to the ongoing war.The population of the Vanni who are now living in refugee camps in various sectors of the country should be provided with all necessary facilities to return to their villages, he says. Health and education should be improved while the supply of essential services for the district should be streamlined to lessen the burden on civilian population, he says. Born in Erukkulampitty in Mannar he had his education in Muslim Madya Maha Vidyalaya in Erukkulampitty. He earned a B.Sc degree from the University of Jaffna. A member of the High Command of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress he was the Deputy Minister of Ethnic Affairs and National Integration of the PA Government. To be the remote control for peace- TELO leader A. Adaikkalanathan contesting as the team leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Vanni District says the alliance would work for peace. According to him it would work according to a four fold agenda i,e. starting peace talks between the Government and the LTTE, cessation of hostilities between the Army and the LTTE, de-proscription of the LTTE and removal of economic embargoes on the uncleared areas. The success of this agenda will ease the burden on the Tamil people and pave the way for peace, he claims The TNA will work its best to achieve a peaceful settlement to the ethnic problem. He pledges to resettle or relocate displaced people and provide them with facilities to restart their lives. Adaikkalanathan is hopeful that the TNA will take Parliamentary seats sufficient enough to force the future Government to work according to the TNA agenda. The TNA will work for a negotiated settlement which fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil people in a unitary Sri Lanka, he claims. Born in Vidataltivu Mannar, Adaikkalanathan had his education from Illavali St. Hendry’s College, Jaffna. An Indian trained militant and TELO Central Committee member, Adaikkalanathan became the leader of the TELO after the assassination of its leader Sri Sabaratnam.
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Produced by Lake House |
