The Hindu : It's `elephant' versus `betel leaf' in Sri Lanka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

International

International

It's `elephant' versus `betel leaf' in Sri Lanka

By V. S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, FEB. 18. A survival-of-the-fittest political battle is on the cards between the "elephant" and the "betel leaf" in Sri Lanka's parliamentary polls to be held on April 2. An estimated 12.8 million voters are to exercise their franchise at about 10,400 polling stations across the island to elect 196 MPs directly.

In addition, 29 MPs will be chosen from national lists of political parties depending on electoral district-level performances, taking the strength of Parliament to 225.

Peace, economy and the rights of the Tamils are the main poll issues being raised by the key players — the ruling United National Party (UNP), the Opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

On Tuesday, the two main political parties kickstarted the race with the UNP, contesting on the "elephant" symbol, wanting voters to decide on the correctness of the decision by the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, to dissolve Parliament. With a "betel leaf" as its new symbol, the UPFA — an alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the radical-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) — reiterated that "the ceasefire agreement stands'' and that it was willing to talk to the Tigers. The LTTE, for its part, said the election would be used for an "ideological expression of Tamil aspirations."

Setting the UNP's campaign mode, the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said his Government had brought an end to the 20-year long war in two years, but was "denied its mandate'' by the dissolution of Parliament and charged the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, with "jeopardising'' the ceasefire agreement and "scuttling'' the Government's economic recovery plan. The snap polls, he said, gave voters "an opportunity to decide."

Outlining the UPFA's position, the Media Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, said the alliance favoured negotiations with the LTTE and hoped to lay the foundation for a just and permanent settlement to the separatist conflict.

The leader of the radical-nationalist JVP, Somawansa Amarasinghe, said his party, which twice led foiled attempts to overthrow the Sri Lankan state, had "learnt from the past'' and "regretted'' some of its past events.

An array of symbols

Though the voters will mainly choose between the "elephant" and the "betel leaf," a total of 51 political parties, including the People's Front of Liberation Tigers (PFLT), the defunct political party of the LTTE, are recognised. Nine animals, including the UNP's "elephant" and the PLFT's "tiger" are recognised symbols.

A bull, a fish, a swan, a peacock, a pigeon, a cockerel and an eagle are symbols of smaller political parties in the political battle. The list also includes a cricket bat, an aeroplane, an eye and a pair of scissors.

At least three symbols — the "sun" of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the "flower" of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and the "pigeon" of the National Unity Alliance (NUA) — have been frozen as these parties have taken their internal feuds to courts.

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