UCA News
Contribute

Rights paramount, say activists

Local election candidates told to put the people first, not themselves
Rights paramount, say activists
A mayoral candidate from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress addresses voters and election officials
Published: September 30, 2011 07:02 AM GMT
Updated: September 30, 2011 07:07 AM GMT

Church officials, rights activists and voters in Colombo have met with several candidates in upcoming local elections to urge that they respect the rights of all citizens after new councils take office. Sri Lanka goes to the polls on October 8 to elect 17 municipal councils, including Colombo. Some 6,488 candidates are vying for 420 seats. “It is useless to hold elections if they do not fulfill the rights of citizens,” Father Ashok Stephen, legal advisor at the Center for Society and Religion told the gathering on September 27 at an Oblate-run community center in the capital. “You should focus on upholding the rights of the electorate, not on which party wins or loses in the election,” he told the candidates. To illustrate the priest’s point, K. W. Janaranjana, deputy editor of Ravaya, a weekly newspaper, raised the plight of Colombo slum dwellers, who he said are facing eviction. “These people have the right to know where they will be relocated to and who will occupy their land after they have gone,” he said. According to reports, 75,000 families in Colombo are to be displaced and relocated in Avissawella in Western province. Saman Abeygunaratne, a government party candidate denied the reports, saying he had a personal guarantee from President Mahinda Rajapaksa that slum dwellers would never be removed from the capital against their will. Tharana Athuraliya an opposition candidate promised new housing for the poor if his United National Party takes office. Several slum dwellers attending the gathering shook their heads in disbelief. “We can’t trust politicians at all. When they come to the power they forget all the promises they make to citizens,” said S. Ranjani, a housewife from the Vanathamulla slum area in Colombo. “Religious leaders should unite to promote justice and equality wherever possible,” she said. Related reports: Christians discuss social responsibilitiesPriests guide Catholic candidates

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia