The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) which had registered landslide victories at the Presidential and Parliamentary polls last year is now actively engaged in a whirlwind campaign throughout the Island targeting to place its dominance at the Local Government bodies in the Island. President Anurakumara Dissanayake who is popularly known as a campaign strategist along with his another party stalwart Tilwin Silva and Prime Minister Harini Amerasuriya are currently travelling the length and breadth of the country engaging in a whirlwind campaign.
President has toured Northern Province including in the former LTTE stronghold in Mullaitivu as well as in Kilinochchi. Forthcoming Local Government polls in the Island expected to evaluate the NPP’s performance so far since they came into power at the latter part of last year. The Local Government polls in the Island will take place on May 6. Apart from the ruling NPP other main political parties as well as the Tamil political parties are also in their campaign trail to capture the Local Government bodies in the North and East.
As far as the Local Government bodies in the North and East are concerned they were in dire-straits due to the civil war which had lasted for four decades. When the armed struggle in the North and East started members of the Local Government bodies became the first targets of the Tamil militants. In 1974 former Mayor of Jaffna Alfred Duraiyappah became the first target of the LTTE leader V.Prabhakaran. The LTTE leader even claimed proudly in an interview with America’s popular magazine TIME that former Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah was his first target and with that killing only he had started to establish his militant outfit extensively.
It was with the assassination of Alfred Duraiyappah, who had been a very popular Mayor in Jaffna, the LTTE and other militant organisations went on a killing spree gunning down not only the Local Government members even the representatives of smaller Local Government institutions. Members of District Councils and Provincial Councils were also assassinated when the law of the jungle under the cover of Tamil extremism prevailed in the North and East.
The Tamils in the North are accusing the Southern politicos for burning the Jaffna Public Library which is a beautiful Dravidian architectural structure. On the other hand it is important to even mention the destruction of the Jaffna Municipal Council building which was very much similar to the Jaffna Public Library. The Jaffna Municipal Council building which was administered by several prominent Mayors of Jaffna was destroyed by the LTTE in the early eighties. The LTTE had done the destruction thinking that the Armed Forces based in Jaffna Fort at that time would move into the Jaffna Municipal Council building which was in the close proximity to the Jaffna Dutch Fort.
The Jaffna Public Library as well as the Jaffna Municipal Council buildings remained as popular landmarks of the city identifying the dignity of Jaffna. Since the political climate has changed very much in the North and East with popular Tamil parties losing their grip in the previous Presidential and the Parliamentary polls, Local Government elections are also expected to highlight the post Presidential as well as the Parliamentary election thinking of the people in the North and East. President Anurakumara Dissanayake had toured the Northern Province last week and made several pledges to solve the political issues of the North and East Tamils.
Whereas it could be very well understood by the Political observers, whether politicians from the South or the Politicians of North and East have taken the Tamil issue to spearhead their political journey and not in the genuine interest of reaching a durable and a constructive settlement to the political aspirations of the North and East Tamils.
