EDITORIAL - FEBRUARY 1999

Results of Wayamba Provincial Council Polls are analyzed at the political arena in different points of view. People's Alliance vows that its a great victory for them. And the United National Party says that they would have win if the rigging did not occur. Despite all these boastings for the sake of self-satisfaction, this election has given the people of Sri Lanka, a signal of a better hope.

Even the PA is said to be achieved majority of the seats of Wayamba Provincial Council, it is already naked as a similar crook as UNP, among the people. Just as the PAers are fed up with the thuggery and frauds of PA govt, UNPers are in law spirits of the weakened and disrupted leadership. All of them and the citizen of Sri Lanka altogether have a new trend to think about. That is nothing but the discipline and the amount of victory that the leftists showed in the Wayamba polls.

Being one of the three main political lines fought for the polls at Wayamba, the role played by the JVP has been praised at every levels. By organizing the election campaign neatly with discipline and facing the thug politics courageously, without getting aroused to counter attack, JVPers have placed a model to the people's politics. In that regard the JVP won even before the election day. The challenges that JVP made against other parties were immense in every aspect. JVP did not ask to select their members by voting them personally. They never displayed portraits and list numbers of their candidates. Instead the vote is asked for the party and its workplan. The other important challenge against other parties was the pledge of working for the public welfare without salary or privileges. JVP members in the Local Councils have proved this is possible since 1997. All these have given a greater personality to the JVP politics.

Even the election results prove that the leftists are improving in the public confidence. In 1997 they exceeded the vote that they got in 1994. And when Wayamba province concerned, JVPers have improved about 70% in votes. It surely indicates that the JVP is the one and only political movement progressing, within the Sri Lankan politics. As a whole, the total vote taken by the leftists among so much of rigging and attacks in the Wayamba polls, shows that the future of the country is within the hands of leftists. JVP achieved 41990 and the other leftists got 12817, which makes a total of 54807 votes for the left. Comparing to lagging of the number of votes taken by the capitalist parties the real victors are leftists.

Not only that, the public protest against the Wayamba polls plundered by the PA govt, is led by JVP with the other leftists. In the past the capitalist parties spoke highly about protecting the democratic system from the Marxists. But now it is obvious, only the leftists are in the front in the struggle for protecting democratic rights. However the event of Wayamba Provincial Council Polls ended up with a better sign, that the victory of future Sri Lanka is left for the leftists.

People's Liberation Front has decided to organize islandwide protests against the polls plunder that the PA govt performed in the Northwestern(Wayamba) Provincial Council Polls.

Already the political parties, New Leftist Front and Muslim United Liberation Front have joined in this protest campaign and many other people's organizations have agreed to join in. The first protest picket was held in the Lipton Roundabout at Colombo on the 28th of January, with about 3000 participation. This protest was surrounded by special police troops and the riot police was also kept ready for duty if necessary. The picket was decided on the 26th, a day after the election concluded and this much of public participation is a significant feature within two days after notice. The journalists foreign and local, who came to report on the event also agreed that it is a victory firsthand to gather such a crowd within such a short period and they pointed out, it also reveals public response towards polls plunder.

While the UNP, in its weaker position has happened to moan against the fraud of Wayamba election, it is applauded by the impartial critics that JVP has succeeded in organizing general public against the govt's anti democratic practice. The protest campaign held in Kurunegala town is also reportedly successful and the protests are to be held all over the country hereafter.

Red Power Editorial Committee