In the past few days, several political parties and groups held rallies in different cities of the country to launch the Presidential election campaign. While some of the alliances have commenced their campaigns they have not named the candidates for the Presidential election, some candidates have launched their campaigns without naming the party or alliance under which they would contest.
Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) were the first to announce their candidature for the Presidential Election slated for September-October 2024.
Although some leading members of the United National Party (UNP) announced President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s candidature as a ‘common candidate’, the leading alliance in Parliament, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is yet to announce its choice, whether to support Ranil or opt for a member of its own.
Leading personalities
With several leading personalities such as Dilith Jayaweera, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Dhammika Perera also announcing their intentions, the scenario became very confusing. It got murkier when one of the oldest parties, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), headed by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena held its first public rally on its own at Gampaha. This was in the backdrop of most of the erstwhile socialist partners of the MEP attended the public meeting in support of Dilith Jayaweera. The MEP indicated that Gampaha meeting was the first of a series of election rallies in different parts of the country.
The JVP with a mere three percent presence in Parliament, has become somewhat popular among the youth in the country and its leader Anura, according to some exit polls, is likely to get around 30 percent of the votes at the forthcoming election.
But they got a severe shock last week, when the newly formed Jana Aragala Sandanaya headed by the Peratugami Peramuna (Forward Bloc) held a separate rally.
The MEP is a part of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, while holding a separate meeting, however, acknowledged that the SLPP is the most powerful part of this government.
Progressive forces
Addressing the MEP Gampaha District Council under the title, “The Future of the Country and Our Responsibility”, he said that the progressive forces were coming together at a time when the country has overcome several critical moments and also created that confidence that such a grouping could win strongly in the future.
The countries that created various economic models have proved that no economy is stable all over the world. The development of science, the development of research, and the struggles in public and under cover between the powers in the world affect this. Each party has worked to create something new by searching for new things in the world, the MEP leader said.
He called upon the people to move towards the goals of rapidly transforming the Government and the institutions established through the Government. In order to move towards those goals by changing the current conditions, the Government needs the strength of the people to be able to move with determination. Especially, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna is the most powerful part of this Government.
The parliamentary group of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna is the most powerful party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament. To maintain a strong Parliament, our parliamentary group of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna united with its alliance parties, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, and the EPDP within the party and the Government, we were able to bring this country to a stage where we can rebuild it in the past two years, the Prime Minister said.
Coalition Governments
As most leaders said Sri Lanka always had coalition Governments. Now on the eve of the Presidential election there will be a realignment of political forces. Today, new forces are emerging. Although most people are not members of political parties, it is essential for the people to combine their forces for the progress of a democratic society.
The country needs a new program that has special training for the youth in the fields that are in demand in the world market, such as additional vocational training after education. Young people are the future of the country. The fulfilment of their hopes and aspiration must be a part of the political process.
As the winner will have to get 50 percent plus one vote to cross the winning line, the main candidates at the next Presidential election will have to attract the smaller parties and groups into their alliances to strengthen their positions. In the event none of them could get that magical number, second preferences of the voters will have to be added to the first two, after eliminating other candidates.
As seen in recent elections in several democratic countries including neighbouring Maldives and Nepal, even the candidate who comes second could edge over the second when the second preference of other candidates are counted.
In most of the Presidential elections in Sri Lanka, the winner had fairly substantial majority, though two Presidents could get only a fraction more than 50 percent to be the winner. However, this time there is a likelihood of a close three-corner contest with nobody crossing the winning post in the first count. But in elections, nobody can be certain as seen in the inaccurate exit poll predictions in the recent Indian general elections.
