Emphatic messages to Mahinda, UNP and JVP from poll says Kusal

By Chamitha Kuruppu

A top political analyst yesterday declared that the Saturday’s local government elections sent an emphatic message to both President Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, the main Opposition United National Party and the JVP.

 “This was a battle between the Rajapkasa regime and the citizens of Colombo. It was a battle for land in Colombo. We did not see this happening in Kandy or Gampaha. At the end of the day the people stood by the land they thought they owned. The entire project of beautification of Colombo and development for Colombo was totally rejected by the people in Colombo,” pointed out Kusal Perera, a well known political analyst.

“This is not a victory for the UNP. This is a victory for UNP by default. UNP didn’t have a plan for development. There was an issue for the people to go against the government. This was a protest vote and UNP won by default,” Perera added

Commenting on the performance of the JVP Perera noted, “There is a problem in how people assess the  JVP. The  JVP had a huge balloon image. That was not the JVP— that was only huge exaggerated image. What is there today is the exact JVP on the ground. They have come to their right size.”