By Mohamed Jawahir –
Though this country is said to have had a violence – free election on the 17th, the situation in Kattankudy, in the Batticaloa district was different. There were a vast number of complaints of election violence against former deputy minister MLAM Hizbullah.
It was comprehensible that the voters were induced to cast votes for him through various forms of bribe such as money, water supply connections, food packs, false promises etc.
The major violence was that he even got assembled thousands of women in the area and openly issued gift packs to induce voting. The gifts even carried his name and the beetle symbol. An Assistant Commissioner of Elections who went to inspect the scene at the last moment of the three day long ‘women convention’ was assaulted by his thugs. Though the thugs responsible for this serious crime had been arrested they were released on bail even before the Election Day.
There have been even complaints against Hizbullah at the Bribery Commission.
Hence people had all the reasons to reject him at the parliamentary election and they did, but interestingly, he has been again made a national list MP on the UPFA list. The announcement came yesterday (21st August 2015) as a sock to the voters who had faith in the newly elected government which is expected to rule this country by good governance principles.
People in Kattankudy are not new to good governance policies. They have for the last 10 years been eager in seeing that this country practices the principles.
Yesterday’s appointment of Mr. Hizbullah as a member of parliament on the national list leaves the following questions unanswered.
1. Was the term ‘good governance’ used only as a tool to win the elections by UNP and even the president?
2. Is it the nature of the good governance to appoint a defeated, corrupt politician against the ‘verdict’ of the people?
3. “Having the same kind of corrupt people in the parliament again”. Will the next parliament have anything to do with good governance?
4. How can a leadership that has been seriously propagating good governance simply accommodate corrupt people merely because the position of the particular party has to be strengthened in a particular area?
Now that everything is over and the gazette notification is out today. Are you interested in in knowing much about the situation right after the announcement that Hizbullah has been appointed as an MP on the UPFA national list?
On hearing the news a mob loyal to Hizbullah assembled on the road and started ‘celebrating’ the ‘victory’ firing crackers and assaulting their ‘political opponents’ They even went to a mosque and attacked people who were in Mahrib prayers. The entire town was in panic.
The people called the police. But they were instructed to call 119 from a land phone and it took 2 hours to the police to reach the scene from a 1 km distance. No arrest has so far been made even though people have named the attackers.
Below is the list of some people who were attached. Around 13 people were affected and list is being updated.
1. MCM. Rilwan (25 Years) Periya Jumma Masjith Road, Kodaikaran Lane, New Kattankudy 03 – (Admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, has serious head injuries, blood vomiting, has continuous chest pain)
2. MM. Fairoos (32 Years), Muthuwappa vaithiyar Lane. 4th Cross, New Kattankudy03 (Admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, has serious head injuries, wounded legs)
3. Mohamed Sajahan (39 years old), (Admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, Al Ameen Road, Kattankudy – with head injuries)
4. Mrs. ML. Fasna, Muathin Lane, (A Pregnant, admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital)
The same old floor is crushed, but this time in the name of good governance.
