Many former Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers and MPs have decided not to contest the upcoming general election and some are trying to enter Parliament from the National List of their parties.
Former Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Namal Rajapaksa, Gamini Lokuge, C.B. Ratnayake, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, Sagara Kariyawasam, Tissa Kuttiarachi, Prof. Ranjith Bandara and Jayantha Ketagoda and some others have been named in the 29-member SLPP National List.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National List also includes some of their former MPs such as SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Imtiaz Bakir Markar, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Dullas Alahapperuma, Sujeeva Senasinghe and Sudarshini Fernandopulle.
Political analysts said that prominent figures in the political arena have decided not to contest the election. With the National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake winning the Presidential election and becoming the ninth Executive President of the country, the political landscape in the country has changed mainly due to the people’s keen interest in a populist Government. Therefore, some politicians themselves had decided that the public is not in favour of them.
Former Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena are among those who have opted to stay out of the political arena. Many former Ministers and State Ministers who have decided not to contest the general election include former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, former Cabinet Ministers Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana, Prasanna Ranatunga, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Ali Sabry and State Ministers Shehan Semasinghe, Kanaka Herath, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Wimalaweera Dissanayake as well as MPs Lakshman Kiriella, Wimal Weerawansa, Chamal Rajapaksa, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, S.B. Dissanayake, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Shan Vijayalal de Silva, Sampath Athukorala, W. D. J. Seneviratne, Gevindu Kumaratunga, C. V. Wigneswaran and Mavai Senathirajah.
Former Governors Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Navin Dissanayake as well as former MPs Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Wajira Abeywardena, Mayantha Dissanayake, Ranjith Aluvihare and Palitha Range Bandara have also decided not to contest the upcoming general election.
Former Parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma, who backed Sajith Premadasa at the Presidential election, is conspicuously absent from the SJB candidate list for Matara. Actress Damitha Abeyratne who was expected to contest on the SJB ticket from the Ratnapura district was also dropped from the list of the candidates nominated from the district.
Election observers said that there were signs of more youth and women representation in the new Parliament. They said that many new faces can be seen among the candidates contesting the upcoming general election and the percentage of young politicians and women politicians in the new Parliament may increase. There is a marked drop in the number of people connected to political families.
