EASTERNERS TOTALLY rejected the very roots of Prabhakaran's mythical Tamil homeland concept at the Eastern provincial council election, Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

The Minister also said that they have also given a strong message to their brethren in the North that they too can feel the fragrance of democracy once they are liberated from Prabhakaran's iron grip. "It was a great victory for 20 million Sri Lankans irrespective of party differences as 600,000 people could step out from their homes and cast their vote freely," the Minister added. The Minister pointed out that only 132 election related incidents have been reported during the election period and out of it 90 per cent of complaints have already been resolved while unresolved complaints have been forwarded to Courts.

He added that the two people who had been murdered during the elections were from the TMVP. "I am yet to see a 100 per cent free and fair election in this country since it is a common feature and also for the region to have election relation related incidents," he added.

The Opposition which alleges that the election was not free and fair should bear in mind that Eastern people have been deprived of exercising their franchise for long decades. The Minister also called upon Opposition parties portraying the Eastern election as a violence-marred election to raise the issue of violent acts by the LTTE to sabotage the Eastern elections internationally. "These political parties have forgotten how the LTTE attempted to infiltrate the East to sabotage the election," he added. The Minister also recalled the way the LTTE killed 12 innocent civilians in Ampara and also mortar attacks on civilians to sabotage the election.

"These facts should also be brought to the notice of the international community if they are to portray the Eastern election as violent marred election," the Minister added.

(Courtesy: Sri Lanka Army & Daily News)