alertnet.org,  Wed Mar 29 23:01:46 EST 2006

    COLOMBO, March 30 (Reuters) - Sri Lankans began voting on Thursday in local government elections widely seen as a litmus test of the popularity of President Mahinda Rajapakse's hardline Marxist allies that could impact on a fragile peace process.

Polls in and near Tamil Tiger areas across most of the island's north and east have been postponed for six months on security worries and, with only a handful of frontline areas voting, attention is concentrated on the majority Sinhalese south.

The Marxist JVP backed Rajapakse in last November's presidential election, votes with him in parliament but is contesting local polls separately, and analysts say it wants to increase its control beyond the one council it currently holds.
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- The Academic

I do not mind JVP getting more votes.. But I truly sincerely wish that the more genuing petriotic votes of JHU will remain with JHU... JHU is more reliable petriotic party than JVP... Its good to vote any of the petriotic party UPF, JHU or JVP. But best choice is to vote for the most genuine and credible petriotes ,, JHU..

[quote="Gamunu Watch"]I do not mind JVP getting more votes.. But I truly sincerely wish that the more genuing petriotic votes of JHU will remain with JHU... JHU is more reliable petriotic party than JVP... Its good to vote any of the petriotic party UPF, JHU or JVP. But best choice is to vote for the most genuine and credible petriotes ,, JHU..[/quote]
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I think JHU will get less votes this time, because the buddhists are worring much about their activities áfter comming to the parliment.  The "rude coulegue" of JHU, JVP also made a bad picture to the JHU.  So most of the people who vote JHU last time, worry very much for being monks in dirty politics.  People believe monks can be much strong, if didnot go to the dirlty parliment.


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Janaka wrote:

Gamunu Watch wrote:

I do not mind JVP getting more votes.. But I truly sincerely wish that the more genuing petriotic votes of JHU will remain with JHU... JHU is more reliable petriotic party than JVP... Its good to vote any of the petriotic party UPF, JHU or JVP. But best choice is to vote for the most genuine and credible petriotes ,, JHU..

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I think JHU will get less votes this time, because the buddhists are worring much about their activities áfter comming to the parliment.  The "rude coulegue" of JHU, JVP also made a bad picture to the JHU.  So most of the people who vote JHU last time, worry very much for being monks in dirty politics.  People believe monks can be much strong, if didnot go to the dirlty parliment.

If monks come into dirty politics and be a part of dirty politics, then only its a problem. I see JHU monks (I mean the monks currently in the party after some of those leaving the JHU) doing preety respectable job in the parliment and the standerd of parliment has been upgraded since..
Yes I beleave we do not like monks to be presented in all levels (i.e pradesheeya sabha,etc). Still I like to see them presented in those for sometime and cleaned it and then take all the responsibilities back to "layman" political leaders of JHU...
Its very imporatant that while monks remain in the helmn, pretty strong and decent set of leaders imerge in JHU to take responsibilities....

Yes I do not expect big vote gain for JHU in this election because JHU is a party with more national interests than vilage level politics... and this is the first time JHU contesting for local election.. I hope JHU will learn the lessons from this time and put forward beter approach in the next local elections....

JHU is the genuine petriots not spoiled by maxism... So we all must look after this hard born child by keeping its strategic vote bank live...

As long as JHU is strong there will be handfull of parties (except diminishing UNP which has entraped heavily in NGO and Maharaja's trap)  showing interest to implement JHU policies at least eying JHU's vote bank...

[quote="Gamunu Watch"]I do not mind JVP getting more votes.. But I truly sincerely wish that the more genuing petriotic votes of JHU will remain with JHU... JHU is more reliable petriotic party than JVP... Its good to vote any of the petriotic party UPF, JHU or JVP. But best choice is to vote for the most genuine and credible petriotes ,, JHU..[/quote]

I trust all LTTE supporters will heartily agree with you.

Either JVP or JHU are patriotic.  If you are truely patriotic you will think of the country before your own self likings and wealth.  If you are patriotic you will do or say things that are good for the country and not the stuff that leads to the destruiction of the country.

The same applies to the main two parties too.  They are keen in winning the elections and grab the powers.  In Sri Lanka the true patriotic parties never win.  People are fooled by these main parties and they are brain washed by the politicians and they don't think wise enough how to vote.


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Be patriotic .. think of the motherland

These acid tests are not going to cause much of trouble to Mahinda R.

He is very good in playing with various acids - as if those are just like milk, apple juice or lion larger.

I am UNP voter - but sorry to admit that UNP is very much disorganised and in no way near ready to give a real acid test (sulphuric or nitric !!) to Mahinda R.

Voter turn out seems low which may be an indication of voter apathy. An analysis of voter comments after the polls would be of interest. What is becoming increasingly clear is that people's welfare is of secondary concern than political welfare of parties. The results are bound to impact on the short term future and direction of the present government.

The peace process is in jeopardy with promises since the last round of Geneva Talks not fulfilled, with new grave violations. All that one hears are bare faced denials. If there is no real intent or no will towards peace, one must wonder why the two main parties are prolonging the Talks? One feels sorry for the SLMM caught up between two implacable sides. The creation of the new Muslim Army adds a deliberate further religious dimension to the already existing ethnic armies.

The news of the death of various Commissions, including the impending Human Rights Commission on April 3, under the non-functioning  Constitution Council is all too indicative that Sri Lanka is heading for a very rocky,albeit traumatic, period under a more totalitarian government.

Results are out. Those SO - CALLED Marxists lost.

How come ?.

Results released so far has a clear message to every political party.

UPFA: If MR plays his cards right, those who voted for him in November will continue to support him. So far, you are on the right track. You did well by not feeding the LTTE monster in Dec/Jan when he was asking for human sacrifice.

UNP: If you don't correct past mistakes, if you don't provide proper leadership, we will stay home on election day. We are lost.

JVP: After all those years, the only change that has taken place in left politics in SL is that the sari-pota has been replaced by a saluwa. It is time to do a thorough review and find out whether the blow-flies you picked up by playing populist politics have gone back to their rightful place.

JHU: When you give up worldly affairs for the sake of humanity, please don't turn back.

For those who are interested, here is the link to election results:

http://www.news.lk/lg_election_2006/index_election.htm

The JHU are no patriots. They are sinhala suprimacists. You should have listen to their speeches during the presidental elections. They are no better than the Ku Klux clan, Neo Nazi's or pro apatheid whites in south africa. Good thing they lost.

[quote="sachin"]The JHU are no patriots. They are sinhala suprimacists. You should have listen to their speeches during the presidental elections. They are no better than the Ku Klux clan, Neo Nazi's or pro apatheid whites in south africa. Good thing they lost.[/quote]
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Patriosm is a relative thing.  If you look at JHU (or JVP) with UNP or LTTE galses, JHU (+JVP) is not patriotic.
Even LTTE say they are patriotic????
Anyway I am happy to see JHU and JVP loss.  JHU should leave the 3rd class politics and come to superior level politics.  

JVP should be more desciplined and should learn to be honest.


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Every UNPrs dream today is that Mahinda is gonna kick off JHU and JVP..
If you add up all the votes for UPFA , UNP, JVP, JHU and get the percentage values.. and if they ever think of next general elction or Presidential election,,, They will never ever think about that...
No one can forget the reality FACT that JVP has increased its vote bank (compare the figures)...
But only crooked UNP supporters will try to convey that striving for one more chance to the feeble clown Ranil   ..

I am glad that most of the supporters of feeble Ranil/UNP at last years presidential elction now supporting UPFA and Mahinda. That’s pretty cool. So those guys are in the real world.
I am not a JVP supporter and this time also I voted for JHU. I am saying this very proudly. I vote for a party that I can be proud of. JHU will never ever betray this country as UNP did in the past and as UPFA under CBK almost commited to do. Its JVP and JHU which prevented mad CBK from commiting the sin of federalism to terrorists. For that I still respect JVP and JHU equally.
I know there is silent competition between JHU and JVP which is a good thing..
Still I am a JHU supporter because by voting for JHU, I can make sure that all the major parties except UNP will adopt good JHU policies...

So JHU vote bank is always floting sinec Mahinda has adopted most of JHU policies, one may see JHU vote bank being eroded. I do not think true JHU votrs mind it, they will come back to JHU vote bank if they see UPFA or JVP mis using JHU policies...

The JHU is the worst thing that happened to Sri Lanka in the last few years. They took the moderate Sinhala views to extremism making sure that there would not be a solution to the ethnic problem. Their argument is if Federalism or any thing is given to the Tamils they would ask for more. But in that case nothing can be given to the Tamils. They would still ask for more. So no solution can be found. They also build hatred between Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhala Christians like me. I lost my sense of patriotism thanks to the JHU.
 
Mahinda with such nationalist minded allies can win any number of elections. Having a nationalist view is not a difficult thing. Like a greedy land lord holding on to the land without giving any to others, the Sinhalese people are not ready to give even an inch to the north eastern Tamils. But at the same time show false sympathy to them by making statements like “one County, one nation, multiples ethnics groups in harmony” etc.
If you are so greedy for real estate say so.

What we need is a leader like Lee Lwan Yu the former prime minister of Singapore. Who made English the learning language at the expense of Chinese, Malay & Tamil.
Populist Nationalist leaders always screw up a county. Mahinda is heading that way.
    
The LTTE may be terrorists but what are you planning to give even to the non LTTE Tamils. Only the lousy provincial councils I guess. Mahinda and his supporters have no plan. They only want to drag the problem forever expecting LTTE to die a natural death.  But the cost of this approach is very high. The country’s development is at stake. Even India is growing faster than US. But who cares, real estate is more important to “patriotic Sinhala Buddhists”

Quote:

I vote for a party that I can be proud of. JHU will never ever betray this country

Mainly because, unlike you, most Sri Lankans have got more sense than to vote it in.

As for federalism being betrayal how is it worse than the alternatives of 'de facto' or 'de jure' separation with a civil war into the bargain?