• AKD assumes office, making history; 1st Leftist President, 1st to become President without a majority
• Tamil community in the north sends message through votes for Tamil candidate Ariyanethiran
• AKD secures major portion of SLPP vote bank, wins 15 out of 16 districts won by GR in 2019
• India wastes no time, becomes first to meet and greet AKD along with final results; Chinese follow suit
• AKD shows humility in first speech after results; Mahinda, Nandalal to continue to ensure stability
• IMF team due for discussions with new Govt., IMF MD writes to AKD; Japan to resume stalled projects
• NPP pushes to secure two-thirds, building on votes at Prez Polls; numbers already show simple majority
• Push for UNP-SJB alliance from both sides; calls high by UNPers to drop ‘undesirable’ SLPP dissidents
• RW asks UNPers to prepare to contest under UNP ‘elephant’; directs Ruwan, Thalatha to talk to SJB
• SJB agrees to talk only to Ruwan, no other UNP seniors; SLPP dissidents propose broad alliance for polls
• RW appoints committee to discuss alliance; SLPP dissidents displeased with time-buying move
• SLFP-led PA members, some SLPP dissidents meet at Taj; discuss forming an alliance under PA ‘chair’
• Ruwan meets Sajith’s Lucky at a temple to discuss alliance; SJB presents three conditions to unite
• SJB wants Ruwan as UNP leader, no ‘undesirable’ SLPPers, and for alliance to contest under ‘telephone’
• RW meets Ranjith, Lucky, agrees to alliance; agrees to appoint Ruwan as acting leader and ‘telephone’
• RW confidants in UNP plot with SLPP dissidents on forming separate alliance under ‘gas cylinder’
• Talks with SJB derailed; UNP, SLFP, SLPP dissidents to contest under Ravi’s NDF with ‘gas cylinder’
• Several senior UNPers refuse to contest without SJB alliance; several youth leaders defect to SJB
• Some SJBers push for leadership change, propose Harsha; Sajith gets appointed as SJB PM candidate
• Sajith and Co. slam SJB Econ. Comm for defeat; Harsha becomes key target while Kabir, Eran spared

Hot on the heels of the Presidential Election that saw Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) assuming office as the ninth Executive President, the new President dissolved Parliament on Tuesday (24), a day after assuming office, to hold Parliamentary Elections on 14 November.

While AKD’s appointment will go down in the country’s history, there are several reasons that will make it interesting to see how he balances governance and steers the country during a period of an economic crisis. As the leader of the anti-corruption programme, there’s much pressure on AKD and his Government to now ‘walk the talk’.

While he has a vote lead of around 1.3 million from the runner-up at the Presidential Election – Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Sajith Premadasa – AKD became the first president to assume office without obtaining the required 50% plus one, securing only around 42% of the valid votes at the Presidential Election. It was also the first time that the country witnessed a second vote count at a Presidential Election.

It is interesting that a majority of the voters were divided among the other candidates, mainly Premadasa and independent candidate, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The vote percentages of both Premadasa and Wickremesinghe put together amounts to over 50% of the registered votes at the polls.

It is also interesting that the total votes polled by both Premadasa and Wickremesinghe amounted to around 5.8 million votes, which was around the total votes polled by Premadasa at the 2019 Presidential Election. Premadasa contested the 2019 Presidential Election with Wickremesinghe’s support and polled around 5.5 million votes, which fell to 2.7 million-odd votes at the Parliamentary Election contested by the SJB led by Premadasa without Wickremesinghe.

Polls outcome

AKD polled 5,634,915 votes in the first count and added another 105,264 in preferences. The total votes polled stands at 5,740,179.

The runner-up at the polls, Premadasa polled 4,363,035 with 167,867 votes being added by preferences. The total votes polled stands at 4,530,902.

Wickremesinghe polled around 2.2 million votes.

However, a look at the final vote count of the Presidential Election shows that the former vote base of the United National Party (UNP) is somewhat intact by looking at the total votes polled by Premadasa and Wickremesinghe, although some votes have been added to the Wickremesinghe vote bank by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

A major portion of the SLPP vote base has however gone AKD’s way, with him winning 15 of the 16 districts that were earlier won by the SLPP at the 2019 Presidential Election. 

Interestingly, a total of 3,520,438 registered voters had not cast their votes at the Presidential Election. Out of the 17,140,354 registered voters, only 79.46% had exercised their franchise, with a total of 13,619,916 votes polled. However, 300,300 votes, which amounts to 2.2% of the votes polled, had been rejected. 

AKD’s challenges

The final vote count will therefore present quite a challenge to President AKD when engaging in governance. The fact that he has secured less than 50% of the votes and that a major portion of his vote was from a volatile vote base that has shown polar shifts through the years could keep AKD ‘on his toes’.

However, the humility shown in President AKD’s speech after being sworn into office, albeit a very short one in comparison to his predecessors, encapsulated several noteworthy points. 

One of the key points was the admission that he “did not know everything” and he called on the people’s support in carrying out the work to resolve the issues faced by the country. It is always admirable for an individual holding high office to admit that he/she does not know it all. The failure to do so resulted in the country being dragged into an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR). 

After being named as the President-elect by the Election Commission, AKD said: “The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true. This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us.

“Our journey here has been paved by the sacrifices of so many who gave their sweat, tears, and even their lives for this cause. Their sacrifices are not forgotten. We hold the sceptre of their hopes and struggles, knowing the responsibility it carries. The millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history.”

Meanwhile, former President Wickremesinghe stated after congratulating AKD on his victory: “President Anura Dissanayake, I entrust to you the care of the beloved child that is Sri Lanka.”

Tamil people speak

One of the key outcomes of the 2024 Presidential Election is the manner in which the Tamil people in the Northern Province cast their votes.

Although Premadasa secured victory in the Northern Province, the fielding of Tamil common candidate P. Ariyanethiran saw the northern Tamil community sending out a message to the southern political leaders that the Tamils are still awaiting the promised political solution.

Ariyanethiran secured just over 225,000 votes (1.7%) in the Northern Province while stating that his candidature was to highlight the fact that the Tamils had not got any political solution and that no candidate in the race had any plan to further the interests of the Tamils.

Ariyanethiran won the Jaffna polling division by polling 7,494 votes while Wickremesinghe and Premadasa, who secured the second and third places, polled 7,080 and 7,058 respectively. The Tamil common candidate went on to win the Vaddukoddai and Uduppiddy polling divisions.

However, the Northern Province winner was Premadasa.

Namal’s shock

Meanwhile, the Rajapkasas, who have held the Hambantota District for decades, lost the grip on their fiefdom with President AKD winning the district.

SLPP candidate Namal Rajapaksa faced a bitter situation when he came fourth in key Rajapaksa areas like the Beliatta and Tangalle polling divisions.

AKD recorded 221,913 votes (51.96%) from the Hambantota District while Namal recorded only 26,707 votes (6.25%).

The irony witnessed at the election was that the SLPP, which ridiculed the JVP/NPP as a party with only a 3% vote base for decades, saw its vote base reducing to below 3% of the total votes.

Accepting defeat

By around 11 p.m. on 21 September when the votes were being counted, both the Wickremesinghe and Premadasa camps realised that AKD was going to emerge victorious. While some members in the Premadasa and Wickremesinghe camps congratulated AKD even before the final results were released, the SLPPers, especially the dissident SLPPers in the Wickremesinghe camp, decided to make a run for it.

It is learnt that by around midnight, almost all SLPP dissident members in the Wickremesinghe camp had withdrawn their supporters from the counting centres and had asked them to lay low while the former SLPP MPs had made their way to various locations in Colombo and remained there.

Former SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said in a message posted on X: “We campaigned hard for Sajith Premadasa but it was not to be. It is now clear Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be the new President of Sri Lanka.”

“In the spirit of democracy and goodwill, I called and wished my friend the best in the arduous road ahead,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Minister Ali Sabry’s post on X gave a very important message to the new President along with a reminder of the need to not lose sight.

“After a long and arduous campaign, the results of the election are now clear. Though I heavily campaigned for President Ranil Wickremasinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In a democracy, it is crucial to honour the will of the people, and I do so without hesitation.

“I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. Dissanayake and his team. Leading a country is no easy task, and I genuinely hope that their leadership brings Sri Lanka the peace, prosperity, and stability it so deeply deserves. The challenges they will face are immense, and I trust they will reflect on the lessons of the past – both the successes and failures of those who have held power before them. History teaches us that the real challenge is not in winning an election but in governing wisely and staying true to the needs of the people.

“Too often, those who have won elections in the past lost sight of the promises they made and missed the opportunity to bring real change. I hope Mr. Dissanayake and his team learn from these past mistakes and lead with a commitment to transparency, integrity, and the long-term good of the country.

“I wish Mr. Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward.”

No time wasted

Meanwhile, the diplomatic missions in Colombo, especially the Indian High Commission and the Chinese Embassy, seemed to be in a race to meet and congratulate President AKD.

The Indian High Commissioner met new President AKD with a message from the Indian leadership soon after the Election Commission declared him the winner at the election.

“HC @santjha called on President-elect @anuradisanayake. Conveyed greetings from India’s leadership and congratulated him on winning the people’s mandate. India as Sri Lanka’s civilisational twin is committed to further deepen ties for the prosperity of the people of our two countries,” the Indian High Commission in Colombo posted on X.

However, China was quick to chip in as well, indicating that India would not have it easy with the Marxist President. Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday (23) that he hoped to deepen ties with Sri Lanka as he congratulated the island’s new leader Dissanayake on his inauguration, State media reported.

“I attach great importance to the development of China-Sri Lanka relations and am willing to work with Mr. President to continue our traditional friendship (and) enhance mutual political trust,” Xi said, according to State broadcaster CCTV. 

Keeping Nandalal, Mahinda

One of the commendable moves by President AKD was to request Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana to continue in their offices. AKD also held a separate discussion with them to ascertain the country’s economic situation and future actions.

Given that a two-member team is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka this coming week to discuss with the new President about the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the inclusion of Dr. Weerasinghe and Siriwardana could help steer the discussion with the IMF on a proper path, giving hope that the country will not be dragged into another crisis situation.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has expressed her commitment to working with President Dissanayake and his administration to build on Sri Lanka’s progress towards recovery.

In a letter to the newly elected President, Georgieva highlighted the “hard-won gains” achieved by the country and affirmed the IMF’s readiness to collaborate in further stabilising the economy. 

However, AKD’s assumption of office has left many International Sovereign Bond (ISB) holders wondering how the new Government will honour the agreement reached with them in the run-up to the Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, Japan is expected to resume work on 11 stalled projects in Sri Lanka, according to Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki.

The Ambassador has said that the Japanese Government is committed to fully support efforts to combat corruption and irregularities – a key priority of President AKD’s administration – and has expressed readiness to continue close collaboration with Sri Lanka.

The Japanese have been displeased with the rampant corruption ingrained in Sri Lanka’s governance system and it has even caused delays in the disbursement of funds to several key projects.

Two-thirds for JVP/NPP

However, given the crisis that has hit the traditional political camps following the outcome of the Presidential Election, it is likely that the JVP/NPP could even move to secure a two-thirds majority in the House at the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.

It could be said that the reversal of what was experienced in local politics following the late J.R. Jayewardene’s victory in 1977 is being witnessed at present. Following Jayewardene’s victory, the Leftist political movement saw a major setback and this time around the JVP/NPP victory seems to have hit the Right-wing parties quite badly. 

Soon after the Presidential Election concluded, Opposition political camps including the SJB and the UNP as well as the new political alliances formed by dissident SLPPers all showed signs of disarray. Although this form of crisis is experienced by the losing parties after any election, it was worse this time around given the complete change of the country’s political culture where power was transferred to a Leftist movement.

A look at Sri Lanka’s political trends show that, more often than not, it is the party of the president in power that secures a majority in the House. With the JVP/NPP working hard on increasing the vote bank secured at the Presidential Election, targeting to secure a comfortable majority in the House which could lead up to a two-thirds majority, the rank and file in the SJB, UNP, and SLPP dissidents started a push for their leaders to form a broad alliance to contest at the Parliamentary Elections in November.

JVP/NPP seats

The logic on how the JVP/NPP could secure a comfortable majority in the next Parliament is based on the numbers polled at the Presidential Election where the party won 15 districts. The JVP/NPP had also polled over 50% of the votes in the Gampaha, Galle, Matara, and Hambantota Districts. 

In such a scenario, the party will be able to secure a majority of the seats allocated for these districts along with the bonus seat for each of these districts, according to political analyst Shiral Lakthilaka. 

Therefore, it could be thought that given the current scenario, the JVP/NPP could easily secure around 98 seats from the 15 districts the party won at the Presidential Election and the addition of the bonus seats could enable the party to easily secure a simple majority in the House.

The records

The plight of the ailing Opposition will undoubtedly boost JVP/NPP chances of securing a two-thirds majority in the next Parliament.

Meanwhile, several Opposition politicians engaged in a discussion about the goings-on in political circles last week noted that Wickremesinghe now held a record in the country.

It was noted that apart from recording the highest number of electoral defeats, Wickremesinghe has continuously held the leadership of the UNP for three decades since 1994. 

On the other hand, Premadasa has also faced electoral defeats at three consecutive national elections. According to one of the Opposition politicians, Premadasa seems to be competing with Wickremesinghe to become ‘the most efficient loser’.

Push for UNP-SJB alliance

However, once the final district-level results were released, one thing that both the UNP and the SJB realised was that a collection of the total valid votes of both Wickremesinghe and Premadasa could have defeated AKD. In some ways, it could be considered a message by the original UNP vote base that it is time for the two parties to unite.

One of the key issues pointed out by UNPers is that the party should distance itself from the SLPP and its ‘undesirable’ MPs given that they have failed to add many votes for Wickremesinghe at the polls.

The dissident SLPPers, especially the likes of Prasanna Ranatunga and Mahindananda Aluthgamage, claimed that the group of SLPP dissidents would bring in around three million votes from the SLPP vote bank. However, it is now evident even to Wickremesinghe that the dissident SLPPers failed to deliver on their promises.

The SLPP dissidents’ failure to bring in votes for Wickremesinghe is a further indication that the people have rejected the SLPP at present.

In Biyagama, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene saw his electorate run a close third to the SJB, losing by 125 votes, while emerging as the largest vote bank for the camp. UNP Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam saw his electorate of Kuliyapitiya emerge as the largest for the Wickremesinghe camp in a district dominated by the NPP and SJB. 

In Matara, first-time UNP Organiser and the former President’s Director of International Affairs Dinouk Colombage saw his electorate of Akuressa emerge as the second largest in the Matara District for Wickremesinghe, edging out electorates belonging to Kanchana Wijesekera, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. In fact, Akuressa recorded the fifth highest number of votes for the Wickremesinghe camp amongst all the electorates in the Southern Province. 

‘Elephant’ comes back

Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe also informed several senior UNPers by Monday (23) that the party should look at contesting under the ‘elephant’ symbol at the upcoming Parliamentary Polls.

The news was well accepted by the UNPers who had come to meet with their Party Leader after the Presidential Election. All of them had in unison claimed that they too were planning on proposing the same.

However, it is learnt that several UNP seniors had remained quiet since they were of the view that the party should form a broad alliance that could also include SLPPers who had joined Wickremesinghe during the Presidential Election campaign.

Seeing the increasing enthusiasm among the UNPers to break ties with the SLPP while turning to the SJB, these few UNP seniors had decided to hold separate discussions with the SLPPers. 

Wickremesinghe had also noted that the new lists by the UNP for the Parliamentary Polls should include at least five new faces.

UNP Deputy Leader Wijewardene and former SJB MP Thalatha Atukorale were assigned the task of negotiating with the SJB on forming an alliance to contest the Parliamentary Elections.

Nevertheless, several UNP leaders who were not assigned to discuss with the SJB members had also made overtures to SJBers to initiate a discussion. It is learnt that these SJBers had then sent a message to Wijewardene that they preferred to engage with him (Wijewardene) than with the other UNP seniors, whom they have blamed as the reason behind the UNP’s defeat in 2020 and Wickremesinghe’s defeat at the recent Presidential Election.

Broad alliance talk

It is in such a backdrop that senior members of the parties that backed Wickremesinghe at the polls gathered on Monday at Wickremesinghe’s political office at Flower Road in Colombo 7. This meeting was chaired by Wickremesinghe and several senior UNP leaders were also present.

The meeting saw several options being explored in preparation for the Parliamentary Polls. Among these options was the formation of a broad alliance with the UNP, SJB, SLPP, and SLFP.

The broad alliance with the SJB and other parties was proposed by Jayantha Weerasinghe, PC. SLPP dissident S.B. Dissanayake had also agreed to the proposal. Several SLPP dissidents have noted that such an alliance will be able to win several seats in 15 districts at the Parliamentary Elections, thereby securing several bonus seats as well.

However, the proposal made by the SLPP dissidents to form a broad alliance including the dissidents and the SLPP had not gone down well with many at the meeting, especially the UNPers, who claim that aligning with the dissident SLPPers would not enable attracting votes.

A new committee

After listening to the statements being made by various participants at the meeting, Wickremesinghe had proposed the setting up of a new committee to discuss with the other parties to form an alliance.

The committee comprised Rajitha Senaratne, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, and Ravi Karunanayake.

However, several dissident SLPPers had understood that Wickremesinghe had turned to his usual ‘time-buying’ exercise by forming a committee to discuss the formation of an alliance since he was not fully supportive of the move.

Former Minister Naseer Ahamed had then asked Wickremesinghe whether he would lead the proposed alliance at the Parliamentary Elections. Wickremesinghe had responded saying that he would not. He had further noted that while he would not be contesting at the Parliamentary Elections and give leadership to the campaign, he had no plans to enter Parliament through the National List as well.

More meetings

Following the meeting at the Flower Road office, groups in the Wickremesinghe camp had continued their meeting at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo. The meeting was mainly by the SLFP-led People’s Alliance (PA) under the ‘chair’ symbol.

Around 35 former MPs had attended this PA meeting – Susil Premajayantha, Yapa, Siripala de Silva, Nimal Lanza, Nalin Fernando, Ahamed, S.M.M. Muszhaaraff, Mohomad Muzammil, and Siripala Amarasinghe were among them.

Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda had also attended this meeting.

During the discussion, a majority of the members had noted that Wickremesinghe did not seem too keen on the idea of a broad alliance with SLPP dissidents.

De Silva and SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake had proposed that the group contest under the PA at the upcoming Parliamentary Polls.

Former Governor Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena had proposed that a discussion could also be held with the SJB on joining the alliance.

Accordingly, Yapa had telephoned SJB Leader Premadasa’s confidant, Lakshman Fonseka and agreed on a meeting on Tuesday (24) afternoon to discuss forming an alliance.

However, it had also been unanimously decided that the group at the meeting was not prepared to align with the new alliance formed consisting mostly of SLPP dissidents under the ‘trophy’ symbol – the Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna.

The final outcome of the meeting was that the group will discuss with the UNP to form an alliance to contest under a different symbol other than the ‘elephant’ and to simultaneously look at an alliance with the SJB as well. In the event both these options fail, the group will contest under the PA.

RW’s directive

Meanwhile, another meeting chaired by Wickremesinghe with a group of senior UNP members was held on Monday evening at the Flower Road office.

It is learnt that the meeting was attended by UNP Deputy Leader Wijewardene, Atukorale, Wajira Abeywardena, and Sagala Ratnayaka.

It is also learnt that it was decided that the UNP would invite the SJB to form a common platform to contest the upcoming Parliamentary Elections. The decision had been reached having taken into account the calls made by the public that the two groups reunite in order to present a formidable front at the upcoming polls. 

It was further decided that discussions with other parties would also take place in order to present a united front against the JVP/NPP.

Wickremesinghe had then directed several senior UNPers to initiate discussions with the SJB on contesting together at the Parliamentary Polls.

Ready for SJB lead

Meanwhile, the discussions to explore possibilities of forming a broad electoral alliance for the Parliamentary Election with the SJB paved the way for several pertinent questions, with the main question being, who will lead the alliance?

Wickremesinghe had noted that he would not be contesting future elections. When Wijewardene had posed the question to Wickremesinghe, the latter had responded saying that the SJB could take the lead in the alliance.

On the next question of who the prime ministerial candidate will be, Wickremesinghe had explained that given the victory recorded by the JVP/NPP at the Presidential Election, the chances of securing a majority of seats in Parliament by another political alliance were slim, although they could stand a good chance of sending in a considerable number of MPs to the House, resulting in the formation of a strong Opposition. Wickremesinghe had therefore noted that the SJB could have the post of Opposition Leader in such an event.

Wijewardene was also directed to lead the election campaign on behalf of the UNP.

Secret meets

Meanwhile, several senior UNPers had held discussions with Fonseka on forming a political alliance for the Parliamentary Elections.

It is learnt that one senior UNPer had held a discussion with Fonseka about forming an alliance for the polls and that Fonseka had in turn sent a message to Wickremesinghe that neither he nor the SJB would be comfortable discussing an alliance with the relevant senior UNPer. The task of discussing with Fonseka was then handed over to UNP Deputy Leader Wijewardene.

Many SJBers have already expressed their displeasure over holding discussions on forming an alliance with senior UNPers like Karunanayake, Ratnayaka, Abeywardena, Manusha Nanayakkara, and Harin Fernando.

Challenges

Nevertheless, the success of the discussions between Fonseka and Wijewardene depends on many factors.

Many UNPers and SJBers have now started to blame the two Leaders, Wickremesinghe and Premadasa, for the defeat of both parties at the election, claiming that the egos of the two leaders that seem to continue post-Presidential Election will eventually destroy the parties and prevent the formation of a strong Opposition in the next Parliament.

It is learnt that while Premadasa on one hand has agreed for Fonseka to discuss the formation of an alliance, he has, on the other, gotten a group of former SJB MPs to criticise the UNP and its leadership. This was witnessed when former SJB MP Ashok Abeysinghe made a public statement that the UNP should come to the SJB if an alliance should be formed since the SJB had polled more votes.

Wickremesinghe meanwhile has remained silent and has not reined in the senior UNPers who have been blacklisted by the SJB and has allowed them also to interfere in the UNP-SJB discussions.

Sajith’s decision

Premadasa meanwhile has decided to act against the former SJB MPs who had engaged in dealings with Wickremesinghe during the Presidential Election campaign, especially those former MPs who had taken various perks and privileges from the then President.

The key focus will be on the former SJB MPs who had taken liquor licences and obtained funds under the decentralised budget for development work in their constituencies.

It is learnt that the SJB leadership has decided to take into account all these issues when finalising the party’s nomination lists for the election and that even if nominations are given to some errant members, action will be taken to defeat them at the elections.

Chaos in SJB

Meanwhile, the SJB is faced with its own internal strife following Party Leader Premadasa’s second consecutive defeat at the Presidential Polls.

The SJBers who met last Monday had expressed various views, with several SJB MPs proposing a change to the party leadership.

Premadasa had however gotten several of his loyalists including MP Harshana Rajakaruna and former MP Sujeewa Senasinghe to make statements in support of him.

A majority of the SJBers had claimed that one of the key issues that contributed to Premadasa’s electoral defeat was the SJB’s failure to screen and accept newcomers to the party. They had pointed out that acceptance of SLPP dissidents, especially the likes of Nalaka Godahewa, who has been accused of contributing to the fall of the former Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime, was one reason for the people to reject Premadasa since they viewed him (Premadasa) as also following Wickremesinghe’s path.

It is also learnt that blame for the defeat had also been directed at United Republic Front (URF) Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka as his role in the campaign had resulted in a large number of minority voters, especially the Muslim community, staying away from casting their votes for Premadasa.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that former MP Hirunika Premachandra has proposed the name of the party’s Economic Head Dr. Harsha de Silva to be appointed leader of the SJB to steer the party’s Parliamentary Election campaign.

Sajith displeased

However, with proposals being made by several groups within the SJB of a change to the party leadership, Premadasa had expressed his displeasure to several groups which had met with him to discuss the matter.

It is learnt that several members of the SJB Economic Committee had also discussed the need for a leadership change prior to the commencement of the Parliamentary Election campaign. It is also learnt that several Premadasa loyalists had in turn blamed the party’s Economic Committee for Premadasa’s defeat, stating that the failure of the committee to carry out an effective campaign in the grassroots was one of the causes for his defeat.

Premadasa, it is also learnt, had turned to confidant Fonseka, Rajakaruna, and Senasinghe for support. He had called on them to devise a plan for him to remain as SJB Leader.

Following RW

It is clearly evident that Premadasa is now following the path of his former Leader Wickremesinghe. Premadasa too has indicated that he had no desire to heed the calls of his partymen following two consecutive electoral defeats.

After getting his confidant Fonseka to hit back at several groups which had proposed a leadership change, Premadasa announced on Tuesday that he would be the prime ministerial candidate of the SJB-led Samagi Jana Sandanaya (SJS) that was formed in the run-up to the Presidential Election.

Premadasa also claimed that he would not form any alliance with Wickremesinghe.

A video clip of the meeting on social media shows Premadasa saying that he will be the party’s prime ministerial candidate and asking if someone will propose and second it. Former MPs Abeysinghe and Rajakaruna propose and second the motion. Premadasa then asks if anyone is opposed to it and asks them to raise their hands openly if they have any objections. When no one raises a hand, Premadasa asks the participants not to make various comments on the sidelines after remaining silent at the meeting.

Attack on Econ. Committee

Premadasa loyalists have also turned the blame of the recent electoral defeat towards the members of the SJB Economic Committee – Dr. de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, and Kabir Hashim.

Fonseka, along with Rajakaruna and Senasinghe, has claimed that the three members of the Economic Committee were given priority by the party but that they had limited their engagements with the middle class through the several economic Blueprints that were released. It was also claimed that the members of the committee had also spoken in support of Wickremesinghe’s economic policies.

“People realised that there was no difference in what the SJB had to offer compared to that of Wickremesinghe and they voted for AKD,” Fonseka had pointed out.

It had also been discussed by the Premadasa loyalists that members of the Economic Committee, at least two of them, had dealings with the Wickremesinghe camp. “Kabir (Hashim) was the one who initiated a dialogue with the UNP. We know that he was in two minds and wanted to join the UNP as well,” one of the Premadasa loyalists had claimed.

The low profile maintained by the likes of former MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardana had also been taken up for discussion.

However, Premadasa and his loyalists have decided that Wickramaratne had always maintained his stances and that even Hashim had remained steadfast while making his sentiments known openly. Therefore, Dr. de Silva seems to have earned the wrath of the SJB leadership, with even a pro-Premadasa media outlet attacking Dr. de Silva in its political column. 

SJB conditions

After engaging in a discussion with Wijewardene, Fonseka had presented three conditions from the SJB side to the UNP. It is learnt that the Wijewardene-Fonseka meeting had taken place at a leading Buddhist temple in Colombo.

The first condition by the SJB was to appoint Wijewardene as the leader of the UNP and for him to be the signatory as the UNP leader to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would be signed by the two parties to form the alliance.

The second condition was that the alliance being formed between the UNP and SJB should not include any members with corruption or any other allegations within the UNP as well as dissident SLPPers who were in the Wickremesinghe camp. It is learnt that upon seeking clarity on the members in the UNP that the SJB had issues with, the SJB side had listed several names that include several senior UNPers. 

However, with regard to the dissident SLPPers, the SJB had noted that they would not object to some dissident SLPPers who do not face corruption charges joining the alliance. It is learnt that the SJB had said they were willing to accommodate former MPs Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Mahinda Amaraweera, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, and Susil Premajayantha.

The third condition was that the new UNP-SJB alliance should contest under the SJB’s ‘telephone’ symbol and not the UNP’s ‘elephant’ symbol. In essence the proposed UNP-SJB alliance will therefore be a unification of the original UNP.

Pressure from UNPers

Meanwhile, a group of senior UNPers who were supportive of the formation of an alliance between the UNP and SJB have met with UNP Leader Wickremesinghe and said that they will not contest the Parliamentary Elections without the UNP-SJB alliance.

One of the senior UNPers who had claimed he would not contest without a UNP-SJB alliance is among the UNPers who had worked his electorate and stands a good chance of returning to Parliament.

These seniors have explained that the UNP will be further rejected by the people if the party agrees to align with the SLPP dissidents who have formed a new alliance under the ‘trophy’ symbol. They have also proposed that Wijewardene be given the leadership since Wickremesinghe has already decided not to contest the Parliamentary Elections or be part of the campaign.

Wickremesinghe however had not made any comment and listened to what these UNP seniors had to say. After a while, Wickremesinghe had lost his cool, claiming that although there should be a leadership change, it should not happen because Premadasa wanted it. Several senior UNPers had then proposed that Wijewardene be appointed as the acting UNP leader and allowed to lead the election campaign.

Wickremesinghe had said he was not opposed to it and had asked the senior UNPers to discuss and decide on the next course of action.

Disrupting UNP-SJB talks

However, the increasing support within the UNP to form an alliance with the SJB had not gone well with a group of UNP seniors, who are considered to be Wickremesinghe’s close confidants. It is no secret that there are a few UNP seniors whose survival in politics depends on Wickremesinghe and his leadership of the UNP.

A change in leadership would therefore mean a threat to their survival and these individuals, it is learnt, had immediately gotten activated. They had immediately rushed to Wickremesinghe, urging him not to step down and to reconsider forming an alliance with the SJB. They had claimed that neither Premadasa nor the SJB had the right to demand a change in leadership of another political party.

These individuals had urged Wickremesinghe not to pursue an alliance with Premadasa’s SJB and to instead work with the dissident SLPPers who had supported him at the polls. These UNP seniors had also worked on getting several news items planted on social media stating that Wickremesinghe would not relinquish party leadership and would continue to engage in active politics.

Pushing a new alliance

These confidants have then urged Wickremesinghe to agree for the UNP to contest the Parliamentary Elections as an alliance with the dissident SLPPers who had joined the Wickremesinghe camp during the Presidential Election. They had also asked several SLPP dissidents to come to the Flower Road office for a discussion with Wickremesinghe.

Wickremesinghe had on Thursday (26) morning informed the SLPP dissidents that the UNP was not in a position to form an alliance with them since there was an ongoing discussion between the UNP and SJB on forming an electoral alliance. It is learnt that several SLPP dissidents have expressed their displeasure at the UNP’s decision to form an alliance with Premadasa’s SJB. 

Several SLPP dissident leaders – Prasanna Ranatunga, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, etc. – together with several Wickremesinghe confidants in the UNP have urged Wickremesinghe to look at forming a broad alliance between the UNP and the alliances formed by SLPP dissidents. 

RW meets SJB

Last Friday (27) meanwhile saw a milestone event in political history when Wickremesinghe agreed to meet with SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Fonseka along with Wijewardene to discuss the formation of an electoral alliance.

It is learnt that the discussion had ended on a positive note with Wickremesinghe agreeing to appoint Wijewardene as the acting UNP leader and to contest under the ‘telephone’ symbol at the elections.

Derailed

However, during this time, a group of senior UNPers along with a group of SLPP dissidents were discussing forming an alliance despite efforts being made by the likes of Wijewardene to form an alliance with the SJB.

Meanwhile, calls were also made to members of the SLFP-led PA to ask them if they would support an alliance of the forces that had campaigned for Wickremesinghe at the election. The PA members had said they would agree with the majority decision.

When Wijewardene loyalists had contacted members of the PA, they had agreed that it was not the best choice to contest with the dissident SLPPers in the ‘trophy’ party and that they were agreeable to contest under the ‘telephone’ symbol.

Be that as it may, in usual UNP style, Wickremesinghe and Wijewardene who arrived at the Flower Road office after discussions with the SJB found that a coup by a group of senior UNPers and several SLPP dissidents had already put in motion the formation of another alliance.

Sickened by the goings-on, Wijewardene had given up, saying that Wickremesinghe could decide the next step with his confidants in the UNP.

Symbol talk

However, the discussion last Friday at the Flower Road office had concluded with the decision that the UNP, PA, and the SLPP dissidents’ new alliance would form a broad alliance for the election. It was also decided to meet the following day, Saturday (28) to discuss the party and the symbol that would be used to form this alliance.

While it was decided on Thursday (26) night that the broad Opposition alliance would contest the Parliamentary Elections under Wickremesinghe’s symbol, the ‘gas cylinder,’ which he contested under at the Presidential Election, there is still the issue of which party will be used to form the new alliance.

It is learnt that once a registered political party is finalised for the alliance, the general secretary of the relevant party would have to write to the Election Commission requesting that the ‘cylinder’ symbol, which is an independent symbol, be allocated to the party.

So far, it is learnt that there are three parties being discussed to form the alliance – the SLFP-led PA under the ‘chair’ symbol, the Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna under the ‘trophy’ symbol led by the SLPP dissidents, and Ravi Karunanayake’s New Democratic Front (NDF) under the ‘swan’ symbol.

However, Sarath Fonseka’s party, the Democratic Party with the ‘lamp’ symbol, has also been offered to form the broad Opposition alliance. It is also learnt there is a push by the SLPP dissidents to form the alliance under their Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna party while using the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol.

It is likely that the final decision will be for the alliance to be formed under Karunanayake’s NDF under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol, which the party had taken over last Friday.

Leaving the UNP

However, the turn of events propelled by a few UNP seniors close to Wickremesinghe resulted in many UNP organisers losing hope and contemplating whether or not to contest at the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.

It is in such a backdrop that several young UNP organisers – including Mahesh Senanayake and Waruna Rajapaksha – decided to join the SJB, stating that the UNP leadership would never put the party first and the party would therefore continue to be rejected by the people.

It is also learnt that Premadasa has started to personally call young UNP organisers who are disgruntled with the UNP and its leadership to invite them to the SJB.

SJB organisers surprised 

However, two active young UNP organisers from the Gampaha and Kandy Districts joining the SJB and being appointed as SJB organisers in these two districts has upset the other party organisers in Gampaha and Kandy.

In the run-up to a Parliamentary Election where everyone is hopeful of entering the House, the inclusion of more people into the party list and its impact on securing preferential votes has irked many SJB organisers in the Gampaha and Kandy Districts. 

Several organisers from the Gampaha District, it is learnt, had called SJB General Secretary Madduma Bandara to express their displeasure at the manner in which the party leadership was continuing to accept crossovers and appointing them as district organisers without any consultation with the existing electoral and district organisers. Madduma Bandara however has said he too was unaware of the newcomers last week and that he had attended the meeting since he had been asked to appear for a photograph.

SB’s prediction

Meanwhile, former Minister S.B. Dissanayake has expressed confidence that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his Government are likely to emerge victorious at the upcoming General Elections.

“Based on Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s conduct after the Presidential Election and his statements, I believe this Government has the strength to fulfil the hopes of the people,” Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake said that he believed that the progress of the current Government should not be hindered, noting that an electoral victory at the General Elections would be difficult for other parties. “It won’t be easy. We have a victorious President, who has appointed a small Cabinet from the existing MPs, and is moving forward with the Government’s work,” he said.

Namal’s invite

While the UNP, SJB, and SLPP dissidents are engaged in a power battle, SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa invited those who left the party to return and focus on one goal.

He said that the SLPP would review its performance at the Presidential Election and prepare to contest any upcoming election. Rajapaksa said that he had contested for president following a last-minute decision taken by the party and when some MPs had defected. 

The MP also said that there was an external force attempting to divide the SLPP and called on those who had left the party to rejoin them and focus on protecting the country.

Speaking of his defeat, Namal, while congratulating AKD on his victory, explained that he had taken up the challenge of contesting the Presidential Election amidst much internal strife in the SLPP and at a time when a group of senior party members had defected.

He further noted that he was left with only a few weeks to campaign while rebuilding the party mechanism that had been broken down by some rogue party elements. Therefore, Namal claimed that he would now prepare for the next election.

SLPP’s stance

However, the stance adopted by the SLPP of not re-admitting individuals with corruption allegations will not be taken back. This statement was considered as being quite ironic by many, given that it was during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa Governments that most of the individuals facing corruption allegations among the dissident SLPPers were in the forefront and later played key roles as Rajapaksa loyalists.

Nevertheless, the defection of most SLPP seniors during the Presidential Election campaign had opened the eyes of the Rajapaksas to the corrupt who were among the rank and file of the SLPP until recently.

The SLPP last Tuesday stated that a detailed discussion had been held at the SLPP’s Nelum Mawatha Head Office regarding how the party planned to approach the election. 

During the meeting, there had been a further discussion on whether individuals who had left the party during the Presidential Election would be re-accepted into the SLPP. The party at this point had decided not to re-admit anyone facing corruption allegations. 

Many of those who had previously left the party have reportedly requested to rejoin.