The PA govt is considering ways and means to postpone the provincial council polls which were scheduled to be held in the month of August. The govt can use the war in the north as a shield of excuse to postpone the elections. Asked for comments general secretary of People's Liberation Front(JVP) commented on the matter like this. "The higher leaders of the PA have said that the security situation is not suitable for the polls. Since the govt could not find the gang behind the transformer blasts and Telecom bombs which continuosly damaged the security in the south, anybody may imagine that the postponement of elections is safe. But we must remember that PA govt came to power giving lots of promises.
One of them is giving a solution to the national question and finishing the racist war. President Kumaranatunge boasted that the govt is ready to finish the war on or before the 1st of January 1998. Later the deadline was extended until the 4th of February. But nothing has happened and the racist war continuously press on the Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil people of Sri Lanka. PA govt also promised to hold free and fare elections at due times. President Kumaranatunga as the prime minister at that time gave a pledge to the people written and vocally to abolish executive presidency before the 15th of July 1995. None of these promises are kept until now. It is a shame for a responsible govt(if there is any responsibility)to say that they cannot hold elections owing to the security reasons. There are other promises that the PA govt could not fulfill. The prices of goods were not controled as promised and now the people have to suffer rocketing cost of living.
Both the govt and LTTE contribute fueling the flames of war. So when they say that they are going to hold the PC polls at the end of the war it would be the end of the democracy in Sri Lanka Nobody can certify about an end of this racist war as the capitalist govt has utilised it for their political power. However the reason of their reluctance to go to PC polls is different. Being the capitalist parties PA and UNP have problems when selecting candidates for the PC polls. They have faced clashes among the party membership regarding the nominations.
But as the proletarian progressive party of Sri Lanka People's Liberation Front(JVP) is always ready for free and fare elections. We have already selected the candidates for the provincial councils those have expired the duration.
Even the govt try to postpone the polls we urge that it is a people's right to express their opinion and elect public representatives by the due time. In a democratic society polls are one of the reinforcements. But since the Sri Lankan society is denied this right alongwith other democratic rights we have no assuarence of this govt holding a postponed election.
So as the People's Liberation Front we stress that the PC polls should not be postponed. Its a govt's responsibility to hold elections by the due times and there is no any excuse to point security shortcomings as the reason of postponing the PC polls. Therefore the People's Liberation Front call upon all the democratic forces to protest against the PA govt's decision to postpone the polls !"

NIYAMUWA PUBLICATIONS
22nd OF JUNE 1998

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