With Sri Lanka’s Presidential election turning on two issues – resolving the ethnic question and the economy – the ruling party’s candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse set out a hardline on peace talks and pledged a range of susbsidies in his manifesto released this week.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)’s candidate, ruled out the Tamil demand for self-determination and vowed to protect the island’s unitary status as well as its territorial integrity.
“I strongly believe upholding …. the nation’s sovereignty, security and the unitary character of the state,” Rajapakse said, addressing representatives of the Sinhala right win coalition he has forged.
“I will not be held prisoner by concepts such as traditional homelands, the right to self-determination,” he told the gathering in Colombo which included leaders of the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Buddhist monks’ party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).
“I love my country above all and do not wish to jeopardize its territorial integrity,” Rajapakse said in a statement after releasing his manifesto titled “Mahinda Chinthana” (Mahinda’s thoughts).
“I dedicate myself to achieve a national consensus to achieve peace with dignity through a negotiated political solution and ensure an undivided, sovereign country where all communities-Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay and Burgher-will accept Sri Lanka as their homeland and the motherland,” he said.
He also spoke of his plans for Sri Lanka’s economy: “I dedicate myself to … protecting social justice, passing economic benefits to everyone, building a strong viable economic system to uplift people’s lives and increase production where both the public and private sectors will play important role, incorporating the positive aspects of the market economy.”
Rajapakse – like his archrival in the November 17 elections, Ranil Wickremsinghe of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has already done – pledged a raft of subsidies to draw the southern rural poor.
Rajapakse’s pledges include doubling an allowance paid for the poorest, keeping down the price of fertiliser, a free daily rice meal for school children and a basket of nourishing food for pregnant mothers.
Wickremesinghe is meanwhile reaping the alarm that has spread amongst Sri Lanka’s minorities in the wake of Rajapakse’s stridently nationalist coalition formed within days of polls being announced this year. The UNP leader has won the explicit backing of the island’s Muslim and Estate Tamil communities – and expects tacit support from the indigenous Tamils.
Rajapakse, who has wide grass roots support among the Sinhalese majority, has vowed to take a different approach to the talks from Wickremesinghe, whose government signed a landmark truce with the Tigers in 2002 and held several rounds of talks with them.
“The role of Norwegian facilitation and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) will be reviewed immediately. They are not actually doing what they should be doing and we will review it,” Rajapakse’s chief election campaigner Mangala Samaraweera told reporters.
“Mr Rajapakse will have closer ties with our great neighbour India including in achieving a lasting peace in Sri Lanka and the region as a whole,” he told UNI.
Wickremesinghe this week condemned Rajapakse’s stand on the peace process, saying the Premier had virtually rejected an opportunity for peace under pressure from extremist elements like the JVP.
“If Premier Mahinda Rajapakse deviates from this process, the LTTE will also deviate from it. The international community will withdraw their support from it,” the Daily Mirror quoted the UNP leader as saying.
Analysts say the stand the two leading candidates are taking on peace talks is the axis of the election.
“This is fundamental difference between the two camps,” Prof. Emeritus Gerald Peiris of University of Peradeniya told Reuters. “(Rajapakse’s) is a harder line on the peace question.”
With its clear cut position on the ethnic question, Rajapakse’s manifesto also appears to have the final say in a spat with outgoing President Chandrika Kumaratunga - his ruling party’s leader - over the issue of devolution.
Kumaratunga, who has served two terms and is constitutionally barred from running again, wants her party to devolve power and has overshadowed Rajapakse’s campaign by openly criticising his alliances with the JVP and JHU.
But Reuters quoted analysts saying this week that Kumaratunga appears to have lost her hold over the SLFP, which her father founded in the early 50’s and her mother subsequently led before she tool the helm.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)’s candidate, ruled out the Tamil demand for self-determination and vowed to protect the island’s unitary status as well as its territorial integrity.
“I strongly believe upholding …. the nation’s sovereignty, security and the unitary character of the state,” Rajapakse said, addressing representatives of the Sinhala right win coalition he has forged.
“I will not be held prisoner by concepts such as traditional homelands, the right to self-determination,” he told the gathering in Colombo which included leaders of the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Buddhist monks’ party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).
“I love my country above all and do not wish to jeopardize its territorial integrity,” Rajapakse said in a statement after releasing his manifesto titled “Mahinda Chinthana” (Mahinda’s thoughts).
“I dedicate myself to achieve a national consensus to achieve peace with dignity through a negotiated political solution and ensure an undivided, sovereign country where all communities-Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay and Burgher-will accept Sri Lanka as their homeland and the motherland,” he said.
He also spoke of his plans for Sri Lanka’s economy: “I dedicate myself to … protecting social justice, passing economic benefits to everyone, building a strong viable economic system to uplift people’s lives and increase production where both the public and private sectors will play important role, incorporating the positive aspects of the market economy.”
Rajapakse – like his archrival in the November 17 elections, Ranil Wickremsinghe of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has already done – pledged a raft of subsidies to draw the southern rural poor.
Rajapakse’s pledges include doubling an allowance paid for the poorest, keeping down the price of fertiliser, a free daily rice meal for school children and a basket of nourishing food for pregnant mothers.
Wickremesinghe is meanwhile reaping the alarm that has spread amongst Sri Lanka’s minorities in the wake of Rajapakse’s stridently nationalist coalition formed within days of polls being announced this year. The UNP leader has won the explicit backing of the island’s Muslim and Estate Tamil communities – and expects tacit support from the indigenous Tamils.
Rajapakse, who has wide grass roots support among the Sinhalese majority, has vowed to take a different approach to the talks from Wickremesinghe, whose government signed a landmark truce with the Tigers in 2002 and held several rounds of talks with them.
“The role of Norwegian facilitation and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) will be reviewed immediately. They are not actually doing what they should be doing and we will review it,” Rajapakse’s chief election campaigner Mangala Samaraweera told reporters.
“Mr Rajapakse will have closer ties with our great neighbour India including in achieving a lasting peace in Sri Lanka and the region as a whole,” he told UNI.
Wickremesinghe this week condemned Rajapakse’s stand on the peace process, saying the Premier had virtually rejected an opportunity for peace under pressure from extremist elements like the JVP.
“If Premier Mahinda Rajapakse deviates from this process, the LTTE will also deviate from it. The international community will withdraw their support from it,” the Daily Mirror quoted the UNP leader as saying.
Analysts say the stand the two leading candidates are taking on peace talks is the axis of the election.
“This is fundamental difference between the two camps,” Prof. Emeritus Gerald Peiris of University of Peradeniya told Reuters. “(Rajapakse’s) is a harder line on the peace question.”
With its clear cut position on the ethnic question, Rajapakse’s manifesto also appears to have the final say in a spat with outgoing President Chandrika Kumaratunga - his ruling party’s leader - over the issue of devolution.
Kumaratunga, who has served two terms and is constitutionally barred from running again, wants her party to devolve power and has overshadowed Rajapakse’s campaign by openly criticising his alliances with the JVP and JHU.
But Reuters quoted analysts saying this week that Kumaratunga appears to have lost her hold over the SLFP, which her father founded in the early 50’s and her mother subsequently led before she tool the helm.
