Total endorsement of Mahinda Chintana

The UPFA as expected romped home in the South - the final Provincial poll ahead of the much important contests ahead. The outcome was never in doubt given the trend witnessed in all the mini elections that began with the Eastern Province poll last year.

That the South represented President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s own constituency was only incidental. All provinces returned the Government with mind boggling majorities unprecedented in the country’s election history or anywhere in the democratic world for that matter.

Here is a party that for the first time since the advent of the PR system is seen even eclipsing the two third’s majority mark - a feat deemed unattainable and a scenario meant to be avoided by those who introduced the system.

The results of the Southern poll as with preceding elections show the blurring of lines of party politics with the electorate voting en masse for courageous leadership rather than being swayed by parochial considerations.

This is a clear demonstration that the larger electorate as a whole had uniformly expressed their unqualified appreciation to the President for his signal achievement of liberating the country from terrorism and unflinchingly standing up to the Western bullies. The message to the outside world is clear “keep your hands off Sri Lanka. We will determine our destiny”.

The more the Western busybodies attempt to muscle in on us the more overwhelming will be the people’s verdict. The Provincial Council elections was just a vehicle used by the masses to give out this message.

The President is riding a wave of people power which would no doubt queer the path of those with designs on the country. Conversely this will affect the fortunes of the main opposition UNP who is flirting with the international forces acting hostile towards Sri Lanka. This is by and large the message conveyed by the electorate. They have placed country before anything else as never before and the sooner the opposition realise it’s folly the better it would be for it’s future prospects.

Yesterday’s verdict also can be considered a reply to recent calls by hostile elements to bring crimes charges against our Security Forces. It had been the President’s constant refrain that he would not permit our war heroes to be hauled before any international tribunal. This no doubt had struck a powerful chord with the voter as has been seen by the verdict of the Southern electorate.

The Southern Provincial elections is the second major poll held following the liberation of the country from three decades of terrorism. Without doubt it was the President who formed the central figure in Saturday’s poll carrying the day for the UPFA candidates.

This is because the public at large are increasingly beginning to look at things from a national perspective. All previous elections bore this hallmark. There is little doubt that this will be the trend at the major elections to come. It is unthinkable that the main opposition UNP would be able to reverse this trend in the foreseeable future with the electorate firmly behind the President for ending the war and ushering a new independence.

Although the liberation of the nation from the clutches of terrorism is the dominant feature the Southern voter would also have been greatly influenced by the gigantic development activities taking place in the South that was largely neglected in the past triggering uprisings.

The Hambantota port that is fast nearing completion, the country’s second International airport, the Southern Expressway etc. are all bound to transform this once rural backwater into a thriving economic and commercial hub in the near future providing unimaginable opportunities to the youth of the South. The renaissance no doubt has already made an impact judging by the polls results.

From the overwhelming majorities received in every electorate it is also clear that the people have put aside political differences and gravitated towards a single purpose - that of ensuring stability to the country in post war Sri Lanka.

If the voters endorsed the committed stand of the President against terrorism by giving the Government thumping majorities at all the elections they are now doubly keen to maintain the status quo to allow him to carry out the rebuilding process with the same momentum and commitment.

The runaway victories have shown that the people as a whole have rallied behind the Government to consolidate it’s military victory by opening a fresh path for peace and economic development. In short what was witnessed on Saturday was a spontaneous response by the people of the South to follow in the pattern of other provinces that went to the polls. It was a collective chorus of the people applauding the victory of the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief who provided the political muscle to attain the final goal.