• Indian, Chinese warships arrive in Colombo, reminding main contenders of geopolitical sensitivities
• Doval’s visit to Colombo aimed at addressing rumours of New Delhi’s divided support for candidates
• Indian HC officials brief Doval of latest situation in Sri Lanka’s campaign trail; Doval surprised by details
• Northern Tamil parties receive message from Doval; asked to agree on one stance to win demands
• AKD, RW, Sajith, and Dilith launch manifestos; SJB economic plan, Namal’s manifesto this week
• Original version of RW manifesto altered by PMD official; second printing to be done of original version
• Sajith planned presenting manifesto to Mahanayakes first, public launch for later, but versions online
• RW loses cool at campaign meeting, asks how monies were spent; asks for list of needs, funds required
• SLPP dissidents led by Prasanna open campaign office in Thalawathugoda; increase in daily meetings
• New SLPP dissidents’ alliance to be launched on Thursday; nominations to contest Elpitiya LG body
• RW directs UNP office bearers to go out of Sirikotha to electorates; Ruwan and Dinouk for negotiations
• SJB focuses on defection operation following Thalatha’s exit; approaches Jagath and Rangebandara
• RW meets Jagath and asks of defection plans; Jagath Pushpakumara says mistaken for Jagath Kumara
• SJB pushes Thalatha’s friends in party to go public stating support for Sajith; Mayantha holds presser
• Wajira says Kabir first approached UNP to discuss UNP-SJB alliance; time passed for alliance, says Kabir
• Rangebandara goes missing, RW decides to replace him; seniors ask RW not to be hasty, propose discussion
• Thalatha’s name proposed to UNP GS post; RW looks at appointing senior WC member for the moment
• Sajith slammed over promoting ‘family rule’; Namal decides to leave family out of the campaign trail
• Clashes within SJB between Economic Committee and Sajith’s confidants; SOE reforms, IMF key areas
• Sunil reveals NPP’s new rule; NPP creates record by opening highest number of offices, holding rallies

With just 20 days to go for the 2024 Presidential Election on 21 September, which will result in the election of the country’s ninth executive president, the campaigns of the main contenders – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) – are in full throttle, with their main target being the large portion of undecided voters.

The latest intelligence reports, it is learnt, have stated that AKD is currently in the lead, with Premadasa at a close second, while Wickremesinghe is fast gaining ground to battle for the second slot with Premadasa.

Amidst the ongoing campaigns, political pole-vaulting, and misinformation as well as disinformation campaigns, surveys being carried out by various organisations on public perception about the key contenders have become a major distraction for the general public. The lack of clarity over the methodology used to determine the outcomes of the surveys and the suspicion that some surveys are being funded by the campaigns of several key contenders seem to have resulted in the distortion of real public sentiments.

This situation has resulted in even the Election Commission (EC) cautioning voters against being influenced by surveys conducted by various parties with Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake noting that voters should not feel compelled to change their opinions based on these surveys.

It was recently reported that several fake surveys were circulated on social media, falsely attributed to international agencies like the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), which were immediately denied by these international organisations.

India-China focus

However, amidst the ongoing Presidential Election campaign, the geopolitical sensitivities faced by Sri Lanka through the years have also resurfaced, with both India and China showing the island’s importance in Indian Ocean regional politics. 

It is therefore evident that the key contenders at the Presidential Election should also address these geopolitical concerns, especially with Sri Lanka still on an economic recovery path.

The two-day visit of India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Sri Lanka at the height of the Presidential Election campaign captured much attention.

Doval’s visit took place soon after the arrival of an Indian warship, the INS Mumbai, in Colombo last Monday (26 August). However, the INS Mumbai’s arrival took place on the same day three Chinese warships – the He Fei, Wuzhishan, and Qilianshan – also arrived in Sri Lanka. The three Chinese warships left Colombo last Thursday (29 August). 

The docking of warships from India and China in Colombo in the midst of one of the most decisive Presidential Elections is further indicative of the geopolitical sensitivities Sri Lanka faces with India and China working to strengthen their hold in the Indian Ocean region. 

Following his arrival in Colombo on Thursday, Doval held several meetings, including two with members of northern Tamil parties and Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda. The following day (30 August), Doval met with President Wickremesinghe, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate AKD, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Premadasa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) candidate Namal Rajapaksa, and members of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA).

Doval’s meetings with the key contenders and Tamil politicians seems to indicate that New Delhi was trying to address the stories that were making the rounds on the local political stage that there is a division within the Modi Government over backing a winning candidate at Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election. One of the stories was that Doval was backing the SJB, while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was backing Wickremesinghe and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was backing AKD.

However, given the complex nature of the Presidential Election this time around, adopting such a ‘divide and rule’ concept could well be a strategy adopted by India to ensure smooth relations with Sri Lanka post-Presidential Poll. 

Doval, however, left Sri Lanka after signing the Founding Documents of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).

Doval’s message

During his meeting with the northern Tamil party representatives, Doval seems to have given a message to the Tamil leaders.

The Tamil parties were represented by Members of Parliament (MPs) M.A. Sumanthiran (Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi – ITAK), S. Shritharan (ITAK), D. Sithadthan (People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam – PLOTE), S. Kajendran (Tamil National People’s Front – TNPF), and S. Adaikalanathan (Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation – TELO).

During the meeting with Doval, several members who were backing the common Tamil candidate had explained the reason behind fielding such a candidate while the other group had noted that the Tamil parties should support one of the key contenders after reaching an agreement on the Tamil parties’ demands. 

Although Doval had not made any direct comments related to the common Tamil candidate, Sumanthiran said that the Indian official had said that the Tamil vote could be the decisive factor in determining the winner at the upcoming Presidential Election and that the split in the Tamil vote base could therefore have an impact at the polls.

Doval had pointed out the need for all Tamil parties to agree on one stance and follow it while explaining that instead of dividing the Tamil vote base, a lot could be achieved by the Tamil community by standing united with one stance.

Meanwhile, Kajendran, addressing the media after meeting Doval, said that they had informed him that the Tamil parties could consider supporting a candidate who provides a solution to the national question through a federal system.

Informing Doval

 Upon Doval’s arrival in Colombo, he had been briefed by India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Santosh Jha about the ongoing Presidential Election campaign, the key contenders, and the candidates in the lead.

It is learnt that the briefing team had informed Doval that there had been a change in public perception, especially in relation to the key candidates, at which point the senior Indian official had inquired if there had been changes in the surveys from about two weeks ago.

It is then that Doval had realised that there had been significant changes in the leading candidates at the upcoming polls.

It is also learnt that SJB candidate Premadasa had been delayed to meet with Doval due to ongoing campaign work and the meeting that had taken place about half an hour after the scheduled time had not been open to several of Premadasa’s confidants. 

Trumping economy

However, the ongoing Presidential Election campaign of the main contenders has witnessed a close battle between two issues – the issue of economic recovery and combating corruption, with special focus on retrieving what is claimed as stolen assets.

While AKD has taken the lead as the anti-corruption champion who will retrieve stolen assets, Premadasa has also made statements to the effect that he will not allow corruption within his ranks. AKD has retaliated to this statement saying that ‘economic assassins’ who had created the country’s downfall were now affiliated to Premadasa.

Meanwhile, many economists and political analysts claim that retrieving stolen assets alone will not help the country’s economic revival.

A manifesto week

The JVP/NPP’s AKD launched his policy framework – ‘A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life’ – last Monday (26 August) with the pledge to introduce a new constitution and abolish the executive presidency if elected. “Our goal is to establish a new constitution that will replace the existing flawed structure and to abolish the executive presidency, which has concentrated too much power in the hands of one individual,” he stated. 

AKD stated that an NPP-led government would limit the number of Cabinet ministers to 25 while replacing state ministers with deputy ministers, thereby reducing the layers of governance and enhancing efficiency. He also outlined his foreign policy vision, stating that the NPP would adopt a strategy of maintaining friendly relations with all countries.

Last Thursday (29 August) saw Wickremesinghe launching his policy statement titled ‘Five Triumphant Years for Sri Lanka with Ranil,’ while Premadasa launched his policy document titled ‘A Win for All’. 

Wickremesinghe launched his manifesto at an event at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo. His policy document consists of five key principles – the ‘Theravada trade economy,’ ‘Operation – Beyond 2025,’ ‘Make a radiant society,’ ‘Win the motherland,’ and ‘Unite Sri Lanka’. 

The five key focus areas are as follows: ‘Reducing the Cost of Living: Prices of food essentials have dropped since 2022 and are continuing to reduce, making it easier for families to afford food. My plan will remove taxes on essentials and make available more local produce while bringing in the things we need from overseas; More Jobs and Higher Wages: New employment opportunities will be created, thereby expanding the job market. Additionally, new income-generation opportunities will be developed; Cutting Your Taxes: We will be taking steps to pay tax-free service incentives to professionals in the future. Many people are suffering due to indirect taxes; we will take measures to systematically abolish indirect taxes. These two tasks will be executed within the next two years and tax relief will be provided to taxpayers; A Plan for Our Economy: Our economy is improving, but there is more to be done. My plan welcomes investment, meaning we can pay for the services we need – like better healthcare, education, and more training. Our economic progress will mean a stable and productive future; and Delivering ‘Urumaya’ and ‘Aswesuma’: We guarantee that ‘Urumaya’ and ‘Aswesuma’ will be delivered and expanded – meaning more stability and prosperity for everyone.’

Meanwhile, SJB candidate Premadasa has also outlined five key areas in the policy document – building a resilient economy, empowering every citizen, enhancing the Government service, protecting the quality of life, and safeguarding the nation.

Premadasa in his policy statement has also noted that the unfair burden-sharing structure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported tax code revision that is forcing professionals to seek employment abroad will be revised. 

“The solution to increase Government revenue is not confined to raising taxes. One of our first acts will be to introduce digital technology to increase revenue and minimise expenditure and corruption,” the manifesto states. 

Some highlights of the revised structure that will not disturb the overall revenue targets but will reduce the heavy burden on the middle class, according to Premadasa, include the following: ‘Personal Income Tax: Personal income tax after the tax-free slab of Rs. 100,000 per month will start at just 1% and increase up to 24% income up to around half a million per month. Thereafter, current rates will apply to high-income earners; Corporate Income Tax: We intend to reduce up to 6% from the present 30% rate for profits on exports and introduce a 15% Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) minimum alternate tax for multinational companies; Value-Added Tax (VAT): We intend to reduce VAT to 15% once tax compliance improves through the use of public digital infrastructure to widen the tax net. Certain identified items in addition to essential food such as consumables and inputs shall be made zero-rated for VAT; excise tax on cigarettes and alcohol and taxes on casinos will be adjusted to fund tax reductions; and a guaranteed up to 15% savings interest rate will be provided for senior citizen savings.’

Unusual issues

Soon after Wickremesinghe’s policy document was launched, persons who were involved in putting the document in writing had found that certain changes had been made to the Sinhala document written by them. 

Immediate inquiries had been made as to who had changed some wordings in the document without informing the original writers. It was then learnt that a senior official at the President’s Media Division (PMD) had made the changes. However, the original text is to be used in the second round of printing of Wickremesinghe’s manifesto.

Meanwhile, Premadasa’s policy document was presented first to the Mahanayakes of the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters with the plan of publicly launching it on Wednesday (4), but with its e-versions in Sinhala and English being circulated via social media. After a few hours, SJB seniors decided to release the e-versions in all three languages on online platforms.

Economic blueprint

However, the SJB maintains that the public launch of Premadasa’s manifesto will take place on Wednesday (4) along with the launch of the party’s revised economic blueprint. The event is to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

This revised blueprint is expected to include the action plan to revive the country’s economy under an SJB-led government. The launch of these two documents together is expected to provide a clear overview of the SJB’s and Premadasa’s plan for the country.

Dilith launches manifesto

 Meanwhile, Sarvajana Balaya presidential candidate, entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera unveiled his ‘National Strategic Plan Towards a Happy Nation’ as his election manifesto in Colombo, yesterday (31 August) at the Monarch Imperial Hotel in Kotte.

This strategic plan is noted as a historic milestone as it is being recognised as “Sri Lanka’s first Presidential Election Strategic Plan that was brought to life by the people’s opinions”.

Drafts of the strategic plan were shared with a cross-section of society for views and the second draft of the strategic plan of the Sarvajana Balaya alliance was presented to the representatives of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) on 21 August.

Namal’s manifesto to MR

While the three main contenders at the Presidential Election launched their election manifestos last week, SLPP candidate Namal Rajapaksa took steps to hand over his election manifesto to his father, SLPP Leader, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR). Namal handed over the manifesto to MR last Friday at an auspicious time.

The public launch of Namal’s policy document is scheduled to take place tomorrow (2).

Theme songs

As ‘The Black Box’ reported last week, theme songs have taken centre stage in the campaigns of the key contenders.

Wickremesinghe, who has several songs running in his campaign this time around, last week launched the official theme song of the campaign titled ‘Puluwan Sri Lanka’. 

Last week also saw another song being released in support of Wickremesinghe. The video titled ‘Ranil Dinanawa Ban’ recalls the country’s situation two years ago and assures the public of stability and of a certain victory for Wickremesinghe. A hashtag campaign with the same title was launched as well.

Meanwhile, JVP/NPP candidate AKD also released his theme song last Monday (26 August) along with the launch of his policy statement. The song is titled ‘Ada Mulu Rata, Eka Mitakata, Suba Nekathata, Rata Anurata’.

After launching his official campaign song, expatriate NPP supporters had also compiled a separate song for him. 

This new song, titled ‘Janatha Jana Bala Nayaka AKD,’ was launched on social media last week by a group of Sri Lankan expatriates based in Italy who are supporting AKD at the elections.

RW takes charge

Meanwhile, President Wickremesinghe, amidst his busy schedule as the Head of State as well as a candidate at the Presidential Election, has had to take charge of the campaign work due to the chaos within the campaign and the lack of a central point to hold it together.

Wickremesinghe, it is learnt, had lost his cool during a meeting with campaign heads at the Flower Road office last Monday.

Dissident SLPP MP Nimal Lanza and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members at the meeting had explained the work being carried out by them in the electorates. However, issues had surfaced when the President had focused on the need for a grassroot-level campaign and the material like leaflets and posters required for it. The rest of the campaign heads had agreed but had not commented any further. 

Wickremesinghe had then asked if the print material was ready for the campaign. The campaign heads had not given a straight answer and instead had been skirting around his question.

The President had lost his cool and demanded a straight answer, at which point Manusha Nanayakkara, since everyone else had kept quiet, had explained that there was difficulty in getting the total required materials printed due to the need for more funds.

Wickremesinghe was then given a breakdown of the expenditure incurred by the campaign. This had resulted in him once again losing his cool. He had asked why full payments had been made upfront for work that was continuing. Finally, Wickremesinghe had asked for a list of work that is to be carried out and the funds required for it to be given to him that evening.

He had also said that he had asked one of his confidants to return from overseas to take charge of the campaign work, at least the media side, in order to centralise the work being carried out at present. 

Thalawathugoda office

While Wickremesinghe’s campaign has several offices – Flower Road, Colombo 7 (set up by Wajira Abeywardena), Lauries Lane in Bambalapitiya (set up by Nanayakkara), M2M in Colombo 2 (set up by Sagala Ratnayaka), Darley Road (used by the SLFP), and Rajagiriya (set up by Lanza) – SLPP dissidents have been facing difficulties in conducting meetings.

Prior to the announcement of the Presidential Election, SLPP dissidents Prasanna Ranatunga, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, and the others had used an official residence at Malalasekera Mawatha for campaign planning. However, once the election was announced, they had left the Malalasekera Mawatha residence.

The SLPP dissidents had then opened a new office in Thalawathugoda. This office is being used by the likes of Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Ranatunga, Aluthgamage, Kanchana Wijesekera, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Shehan Semasinghe, and several others. This Thalawathugoda office is expected to be the main office for the new political party being formed by the SLPP dissidents as well.

Dr. Pathirana had proposed that a politburo be formed with the participation of MPs and non-MPs. Everyone had agreed and Ranatunga had proposed that names should also be proposed for the positions of national organiser, national convenor, and treasurer.

Meetings galore

With the increase in the number of election offices in the Wickremesinghe campaign, there seems to be an increase in the number of meetings being held on a daily basis to discuss campaign work.

While there are daily meetings being held at the Flower Road, Lauries Lane, and M2M offices, the newly-opened Thalawathugoda office has also added another meeting in the mornings. Campaign heads therefore seem to be spending more time running between offices attending meetings than focusing on the grassroot-level campaign being pushed by Wickremesinghe.

Pushed to electorates

Despite the daily meetings being held at the campaign offices in Colombo, the fact that his election campaign is yet to gather full steam with his entire camp going down to the grassroots has continuously bothered Wickremesinghe, especially with regard to his party men.

United National Party (UNP) organisers, however, have been irked by the monies being allocated to some ineffective media campaigns as well as to the SLPP group. Several UNP organisers have even informed several party seniors of their displeasure at being sidelined when allocating funds for campaigning work at the grassroots. These organisers have asked the UNP seniors why some of the ministers in the Government who have earned large sums of monies through commissions and deals are not pulling the money out for the campaign.

However, Wickremesinghe last Wednesday (28 August) decided to get tough and issued a directive to all UNP office bearers and Working Committee members who have been appointed to electorates to go to their respective electorates and start opening up offices and engage in a grassroot-level campaign, without remaining at the Party Headquarters.

Wickremesinghe has directed Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene to the Gampaha District, Chairman Wajira Abeywardena to the Galle District, National Organiser Sagala Ratnayaka to the Colombo and Matara Districts, Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to the Kurunegala District, National Secretary Ravi Karunanayake to the Colombo District and Northern Province, and Treasurer Firo Farook to the Mawanella area. 

Deputy General Secretary Krishantha Theodore, Sirikotha CEO Shamal Senarath, Election Operations Head, President’s Counsel Ronald Perera, and several others are to manage the affairs of the Party Headquarters and coordinate the district-level campaign.

RW’s move

Meanwhile, the ongoing election battle between Opposition and SJB Leader Premadasa and AKD is continuing, while Wickremesinghe is also showing signs of gaining ground, with many members from the SLPP and SJB, especially at the Local Government and Provincial Council level, joining his camp.

While engaging in the campaign, Wickremesinghe is also looking at expanding his support base by getting more MPs to join his fold. The President has entrusted this task to UNP Deputy Leader Wijewardene and UNP Working Committee member Dinouk Colombage, who is also the President’s Director for International Relations.

Most of the discussions Wijewardene and Colombage had held with SJB MPs had been on requests by the latter. It is learnt that Wijewardene had played a key role in getting former SJB MP Thalatha Atukorale to make a key political move.

A key meeting on securing the support of SJB defectors to Wickremesinghe was held recently between Wickremesinghe, Wijewardene, Mahinda Haradasa, and an individual engaged in handling the President’s campaign finances.

Wickremesinghe had inquired about the status of the other SJB MPs tipped to cross over to his camp and had been informed that discussions were still ongoing and that Wickremesinghe would have to meet with them prior to their move. Wickremesinghe had agreed.

Funding issues

Another key topic discussed during this meeting is the issue of funds for party organisers to mobilise party members and supporters to attend rallies. The increasing agitation among UNP organisers over the lack of funds for campaign work and the failure of the Colombo election campaign heads to provide them with the propaganda material were taken up for discussion.

Wickremesinghe had also been informed of the failure to get UNPers to his maiden campaign rally in Anuradhapura due to a failure to provide funds to UNP organisers to pay for buses to transport party members and supporters. Wickremesinghe had noted that he had not been aware of the issue but stated that funds would be provided to the organisers shortly. 

It is also learnt that apart from Wickremesinghe’s campaign, SJB candidate Premadasa’s campaign is also facing some difficulties due to funding issues. One of the key reasons for the slow inflow of funds has been attributed to the new law on campaign finance that has come into effect from the upcoming Presidential Election.

Defection operation

Meanwhile, the SJB’s Premadasa loyalists – especially Premadasa’s closest confidant Lakshman Fonseka – are trying a retaliatory shot at the Wickremesinghe camp following Atukorale’s decision to resign from Parliament following a scathing attack on the SJB leadership.

Fonseka, it is learnt, is looking at getting a state minister in the Wickremesinghe Government to join the SJB. It is also learnt that the SJB is working on securing the defection of a senior SLFPer in the Wickremesinghe camp from the Uva Province and a senior UNPer from the Puttalam District. 

The SLFP seniors in the Wickremesinghe camp have been keeping a close watch on their colleague from the Uva Province for some time.

Negotiations with the Puttalam District UNP senior are being carried out by a businessman who was at one time affiliated to the Rajapaksas and is now in the SJB camp as well as another UNP office bearer who is eyeing the post of general secretary.

It was later learnt that the Uva Province SLFPer is Jagath Pushpakumara and the Puttalam District UNPer is Palitha Rangebandara.

Kumara and Pushpakumara

However, with news circulating within the Wickremesinghe camp that Pushpakumara was trying to defect to the SJB, Wickremesinghe decided to meet with him prior to his Monaragala rally last Thursday (29 August).

Wickremesinghe had directly asked if he (Pushpakumara) had been approached by the SJB. Pushpakumara had laughed and said that he had been approached by the SJB, but it was only once, and that he never intended to defect to the SJB.

Pushpakumara had then gone on to tell Wickremesinghe that he felt the SJB had mistook him for SLPP MP Jagath Kumara. “I think they (SJB) mixed up Jagath Pushpakumara and Jagath Kumara,” he had told Wickremesinghe and they had both laughed.

Palitha goes missing

The UNP has been facing many issues in reconstituting the party mechanism following the defection of its members to form the SJB and the party’s defeat at the 2020 Parliamentary Election.

However, the shortcomings within the UNP mechanism started to emerge years before the hit in 2020. It is this reason that has resulted in the failure to get one of its leaders elected as the country’s president since the assassination of R. Premadasa.

Following Wickremesinghe’s assumption of office in 2022, the UNP felt it could help revive the party and restructure its mechanism. Yet, this task has shown to be quite a difficult one, with the UNP still working on rebuilding the party mechanism even amidst a Presidential Election.

It is in such a backdrop that reports started to emerge that UNP General Secretary Rangebandara had not visited the Party Headquarters for several days amidst the ongoing election campaign and had almost ‘gone missing’. UNP seniors had even informed Party Leader Wickremesinghe that Rangebandara was not carrying out his role as the party General Secretary and there were shortcomings in the coordination of work with Wickremesinghe’s main campaign.

It is however no secret that Rangebandara has been in a disgruntled state for some time given his feeling of being sidelined by the party leadership when it comes to work related to the Government. Rangebandara was also displeased that many office bearers of the UNP were taken in as advisors by the President and that he was not. Wickremesinghe however has responded to this saying that Rangebandara as the General Secretary of the UNP should focus on rebuilding the party and putting its mechanism in place.

The fact that there is a party senior and a member of the party’s Working Committee eyeing the post of UNP general secretary while pushing the party leadership to replace him (Rangebandara) had also added to his woes.

All these issues and the ongoing Presidential Election campaign have pushed Rangebandara to ‘go missing’ and not engage in campaign related work for a few days.

Deputy General Secretary Theodore had served as the Acting General Secretary during the period.

Removing Palitha

However, Wickremesinghe had decided that the UNP needed a general secretary who would make rebuilding the party and its mechanism a top priority. 

It is learnt that Wickremesinghe had then considered several individuals to be appointed to the post in the party, even in an acting capacity. Afterwards, Wickremesinghe had signed a letter informing Rangebandara that he was being removed as the UNP General Secretary.

Nevertheless, several senior UNPers, after hearing of Wickremesinghe’s plans, had asked him not to be hasty in his decision to replace Rangebandara. These UNP seniors had said they would speak to Rangebandara and that Wickremesinghe should also consider appointing him to another position in the party.

Another group of senior UNPers had then asked Wickremesinghe to remove Rangebandara before he accepted the SJB’s invitation to join the party.

Wickremesinghe finally decided to hold on to Rangebandara’s letter.

Thalatha proposed

Meanwhile, several Wickremesinghe loyalists have proposed Atukorale as the UNP’s new general secretary.

They had pointed out that as the sister of the late Gamini Atukorale, who was also a General Secretary of the UNP, Atukorale would bring in a new vigour to the party mechanism. The push for Atukorale has not gone down well with the UNP seniors eyeing the post of general secretary for themselves.

However, it is learnt that Wickremesinghe has decided not to remove Rangebandara from the post but to assign him a different responsibility while looking at the possibility of appointing a Working Committee member who is a senior counsel as the UNP’s general secretary in order to avoid more issues within the party – at least until the conclusion of the Presidential Election.

Palitha’s denial

Finally, Rangebandara on Friday (30 August) addressed a media conference at Sirikotha, where he said that he had not received any letter informing him of being removed as the General Secretary. He further noted that he would always be a UNPer and that he would remain as a UNP member even without a post.

When Rangebandara had arrived at Sirikotha and said he needed to first make a statement at the scheduled presser before it commenced, everyone at Sirikotha had been surprised, wondering what he was going to announce. After Rangebandara’s statement to the media, Ashu Marasinghe held the scheduled news conference.

Premadasa family rule

Meanwhile, the Wickremesinghe camp has started to speak of the team that will work with Premadasa if he assumes office.

Dissident SLPP Minister Ranatunga says that it will be Premadasa’s ‘family company’ (‘pawul samagama’) that includes his wife and sister who will govern the country.

Ranatunga has said during a public rally to be mindful not to vote for a ‘family rule’. “Family rule is a curse to the country. No country has been developed through family rule. Everyone speaks of the Rajapaksa family rule whenever we speak of family rule. There’s not much spoken about the Premadasa family rule. 

“Premadasa was the Housing Minister from 2015 to 2019. It was not Sajith (Premadasa) who was at the ministry; it was most often his wife Jalani who was at the ministry. The SJB is now a complete family rule. The party is being managed by Jalani and businessman Lakshman Fonseka, not Sajith,” Ranatunga has claimed in Minuwangoda.

It is no secret that a majority of Sri Lanka is weary of family rule following the experience with the Rajapaksa family.

Leaving family out

However, the growing public discontent against family rule in Sri Lankan politics seems to have resulted in SLPP candidate Namal making a conscious decision to leave his family out of the Presidential Election campaign.

His father, MR, who is also the Leader of the SLPP, has addressed only several key rallies in the districts, while the rest of his family members, including wife Limini, have been kept out of the campaign. It is learnt that MR will take the lead in Namal’s rallies during the last two weeks to bring the campaign to a peak.

The criticism over the adverse impact of family rule in the country’s governance first emerged during MR’s tenure as President, where members of the Rajapaksa family were appointed to key Cabinet positions as well as other key positions in State institutions.

SLPPers avoid convention

Meanwhile, senior SLPPers who are now in the Wickremesinghe camp were faced with quite a dilemma when they were invited to attend the UNP Convention that was held at the Party Headquarters, Sirikotha, last Sunday (25 August).

The invitation was extended by UNP Chairman Abeywardena and General Secretary Rangebandara. As soon as the invitation was extended, a group of senior SLPP dissidents had discussed what they should do about the invitation. While they wanted to express their support for Wickremesinghe, they were not prepared to be identified with the UNP.

One senior SLPP MP had even asked why the UNP couldn’t hold the convention at a location other than Sirikotha if the party wanted supporters from other parties in the Wickremesinghe camp to attend it. “We are supporting Ranil (Wickremesinghe) as an independent candidate under a new symbol. We cannot be seen as UNPers by attending a convention at the Party Headquarters,” the MP had noted.

After discussing for about an hour, it was decided that the SLPP dissidents would not attend the UNP Convention at Sirikotha.

Dissidents for LG Polls

Meanwhile, a group of SLPP dissidents who are currently in the Wickremesinghe camp, and who have not joined the SLFP-led People’s Alliance (PA) that consists of a group of SLPP dissidents, have decided to expedite plans to form a new political party. Several rounds of discussions have already been held regarding the formation of this new party and alliance to contest at the next elections.

This new alliance, which is likely to be headed by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena with Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana as its general secretary, is expected to be launched this week. It is also learnt that this new alliance of dissident SLPPers has decided to hand in nominations for the Elpitiya Local Government body.

Launching the alliance

This new alliance being formed by a group of SLPP dissidents is to be launched on Thursday (5) at Waters Edge in Battaramulla.

A decisive meeting on forming the alliance was held last Thursday (29 August) at Temple Trees with the participation of around 60 participants including MPs. Former Local Government members and Provincial Council members of the SLPP who have now extended support to the Wickremesinghe camp are to also join this new alliance.

Following the meeting to finalise the launch of the new alliance, Prime Minister Gunawardena had hosted the participants for lunch.

SJB plan

Meanwhile, the SJB is facing some internal instability due to the growing dissension within the party, which has left many SJBers in a helpless situation trying to figure out their future in the party. 

However, one of the SJB MPs who had attended discussions with Wijewardene at his Hyde Park residence had turned truant and given details of the discussions to the SJB leadership. This MP represents the Kurunegala District.

The SJB leadership and his group of confidants in turn launched a campaign targeting the other SJB MPs who were negotiating with the Wickremesinghe side. This move resulted in at least two SJB MPs who were in discussion with the Wickremesinghe side taking a back seat due to the fear of being exposed.

However, it was Atukorale’s decision to resign from Parliament that had once again got the SJB MPs activated and wanting to join the Wickremesinghe camp.

It was SJB MP Kabir Hashim, who is her closest confidant in parliamentary politics, who sat near Atukorale during her moving speech in Parliament announcing her resignation. After the speech, it was SJBers Mayantha Dissanayake and Ajith Mannapperuma who walked out of the Chamber with Atukorale.

Mayantha’s presser

Seeing that Atukorale has several SJB MPs close to her, Premadasa’s confidants had concocted a plan to get these MPs, whom they also believe could join the Wickremesinghe camp, to publicly express their allegiance to Premadasa and the SJB.

The first to be targeted in the list was Dissanayake, who was asked to address a news conference and claim allegiance to the SJB while criticising Atukorale’s decision to resign. Accordingly, Dissanayake addressed a news conference a day after Atukorale’s resignation, but he refrained from criticising her, saying he was saddened by her decision, and did not slam her as expected by the Premadasa confidants.

Rishad gets a reminder

Meanwhile, Atukorale’s decision to resign from Parliament had shaken All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen.

Bathiudeen had told Atukorale that he was shocked by her move and asked why she had decided on such an action. Atukorale had said that she had given her reasons in her parliamentary speech.

Atukorale had then asked Bathiudeen not to forget those who had stood by him and helped when he and his wife were facing many issues a few years back.

Kabir’s game

Meanwhile, the SJB’s Hashim’s name has figured in the talks related to SJB defectors to the Wickremesinghe camp. The focus on Hashim came after his statement last week that the time for the UNP and SJB to unite had passed. He had noted that he too had wanted the UNP and SJB to unite, but that it was too late now. Hashim had further noted that the SJB was moving forward with strength with a plan to develop the country.

UNP Chairman Abeywardena however has said during a recent meeting of the Wickremesinghe camp at the Flower Road election office that it was SJB MP Hashim who had first initiated a discussion with the Wickremesinghe side. Abeywardena had further said that after informing of the displeasure among SJBers and their possible defection from the SJB, Hashim had made a U-turn and returned to the SJB fold.

Gampaha in crisis

However, the growing displeasure within the SJB has affected the Gampaha District the most.

‘The Black Box’ during the past few weeks has elaborated on the continuous issues faced by the SJB leadership due to the growing dissension among SJB organisers in Gampaha.

The divisions within the Gampaha organisers have had an adverse impact on Premadasa’s election campaign, with several key organisers deciding not to play an active role in the campaign. It was first reflected in the failure to attract anticipated numbers of participants to an SJB rally in Katunayake attended by Premadasa. 

Clashes within SJB

While the formation of Premadasa’s policy statement is led by Dr. Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, and Hashim, Premadasa confidants like S.M. Marikkar and co. believe that Premadasa’s policies should not be similar to those of Wickremesinghe.

A clash had taken place between de Silva and Marikkar over the economic policies included in Premadasa’s manifesto that are similar to the proposals being made by Wickremesinghe on economic recovery. One of the key issues that had created displeasure between de Silva and Marikkar was over the restructuring of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

Marikkar maintains that the party has spoken against the selling of national assets and therefore should not be seen as agreeing with Wickremesinghe’s policy of restructuring SOEs.

Clashing over IMF

However, another key issue that has added to the ongoing clash within the SJB between the members of the Economic Committee and Premadasa’s newfound economic pundits like Dr. Nalaka Godahewa is over the party’s stance on the IMF programme with Sri Lanka.

Premadasa loyalist MP Sujeewa Senasinghe, it is learnt, is also backing Godahewa on the anti-IMF stance. According to SJB sources, the likes of Godahewa continue to inform the SJB leadership that the economic stances of de Silva, Wickramaratne, and Hashim will not help him win the Presidential Election. Premadasa has been informed that he needs to adopt a strong stance against the IMF in order to attract voters from AKD’s camp.

The SJB Economic Committee has meanwhile noted that the SJB had pushed for Sri Lanka to go to the IMF during the 2022 crisis and could not now take a U-turn on it. The committee has emphasised the need to look at amending certain unfavourable clauses only.

NPP’s record

Meanwhile, the JVP/NPP has set a record by setting up the largest number of election offices islandwide. It is learnt that all these offices are registered and have been opened with the required approvals as well.

Even in holding public rallies, the NPP has taken the lead, with plans to increase them to four to five rallies per day. On some days the party has planned to hold six rallies attended by AKD.

The gains by AKD’s campaign have also resulted in the other key contenders launching a campaign against the NPP.

NPP’s new rule

However, the JVP/NPP continues to be in the midst of controversy and this time it is a statement by JVP/NPP Executive Committee member Sunil Handunnetti that created it.

Handunnetti, responding to a question posed by Wickremesinghe campaign member Harin Fernando, has said that it would be ministry secretaries who would engage in carrying out Government work until the next Parliamentary Election. In other words, the JVP/NPP will not look at a caretaker Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister to engage in governance until a new government is elected through a Parliamentary Election.

Handunnetti had made this statement during a political debate on a private television station last week.

The SJB’s Ajith P. Perera, who was also participating in the debate, had pointed out the constitutional provisions for a caretaker government led by the Prime Minister and the existing Cabinet ministers until a Parliamentary Election was held.

Dilith’s invite

Sarvajana Balaya presidential candidate Jayaweera has extended an invitation to all candidates running for presidency for a debate on his strategic roadmap for the nation.

Jayaweera has said in Anuradhapura that all of the candidates have failed to present a plan to explain how they are going to repay the debt the country has taken. 

“We have presented a proper strategic plan. For the first time in Sri Lanka, we have explained when and how we are going to implement that. We have also mentioned how we are going to source the necessary funds for that.

“We would like to ask the people who borrowed huge amounts of money how they are going to repay the money by 2028,” he has questioned. “None of the three candidates (Premadasa, AKD, and Wickremesinghe) have explained how they are going to source the income sufficient to repay these debts. Do they talk about what happens if people die in a famine? They do not. I invite all of them to debate our strategic plan,” Jayaweera has added.

He has further claimed that everyone talks about cracking down on corruption while engaging in corrupt practices. “I saw the monthly income of the presidential candidates in their assets and liabilities declarations. I was so sad to see that they are living a month on a salary ranging between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 200,000, which means their standard of living is worse than yours,” Jayaweera has noted, while adding that none of the other presidential candidates have paid taxes on their income.

“No matter where they reside, all of them are thieves. Once our President retires, I’m ready to provide him with a gratuity payment from my personal income,” Jayaweera has added.