Rajapaksa's Electoral Debacle Helps Sirisena Take Over Party
By P.K.Balachandran Published: 25th August 2015 06:28 PM
COLOMBO: The failure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) win the August 17 Lankan parliamentary elections is enabling incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena to take over the UPFA and its main constituent, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
Prior to the August 17 polls, both the SLFP and the UPFA were with Rajapaksa, though Sirisena was the de jure Chairman of both outfits. But with the UPFA getting only 95 seats as against 106 secured by the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) led by the United National Party (UNP), the SLFP has begun rallying round Sirisena, who, unlike Rajapaksa, is in power, occupying the post of Lankan President.
Senior leaders of the SLFP, who were earlier rooting for Rajapaksa and had fought the election to make him Prime Minister, are now with Sirisena, saying that Rajapaksa had split the party by his intransigence and not making up with Sirisena.
They also blame the smaller parties in the UPFA like the National Freedom Front (NFF), the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) for misleading Rajapaksa into believing that he could swing the elections without Sirisena’s help.
Had Rajapaksa not contested, the UPFA would have been united, and would have won, said Thilanga Sumathipala, a former Minister and media honcho. Rajapaksa loyalists had campaigned against those identified with Sirisena and brought about their defeat, Sumathipala said. The continued attacks of the pro-Rajapaksa small parties on those who had earlier worked for the unity of Sirisena and Rajapaksa, has forced UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha to resign from the post, he pointed out.
According to Sumathipala, most of the senior leaders of the SLFP will rally round Sirisena and join or support the National Government proposed by Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Dilan Perera, a lawyer and former Minister, was a vocal supporter of Rajapaksa’s candidature for Premiership. But he was always for a Sirisena-Rajapaksa rapprochement for the sake of the party. Perera is now with Sirisena and blames the smaller parties for opposing cooperation with Sirisena in the formation of a “Combined Government.’
Explaining his resignation from a minister’s post ahead of the parliamentary elections, Perera said that he was not comfortable being part of a government headed by a party which did not have an electoral mandate.
“The UNP, which was running the government, had only 48 MPs in a House of 225. The January 8 Presidential election had given Sirisena the mandate to rule. But the UNP had pick pocketed Sirisena’s mandate!” he quipped.
Perera says that power in the National Government should be equally shared by the UPFA/SLFP and the UNFGG.
“Although the UNFGG got more seats, the UPFA/SLFP was not far behind. It was a split mandate and this should be reflected in the Council of Ministers and the distribution of portfolios,” he said.
The formation of the Council of Ministers is proving to be difficult. To date, only the Prime Minister and three other cabinet ministers have been sworn-in, all from the UNP. Senior leaders from both sides are eyeing high profile or lucrative portfolios. Though there are committees to sort out issues, the final agreement is expected to be thrashed out by a troika comprising President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
By P.K.Balachandran Published: 25th August 2015 06:28 PM
COLOMBO: The failure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) win the August 17 Lankan parliamentary elections is enabling incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena to take over the UPFA and its main constituent, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
Prior to the August 17 polls, both the SLFP and the UPFA were with Rajapaksa, though Sirisena was the de jure Chairman of both outfits. But with the UPFA getting only 95 seats as against 106 secured by the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) led by the United National Party (UNP), the SLFP has begun rallying round Sirisena, who, unlike Rajapaksa, is in power, occupying the post of Lankan President.
Senior leaders of the SLFP, who were earlier rooting for Rajapaksa and had fought the election to make him Prime Minister, are now with Sirisena, saying that Rajapaksa had split the party by his intransigence and not making up with Sirisena.
They also blame the smaller parties in the UPFA like the National Freedom Front (NFF), the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) for misleading Rajapaksa into believing that he could swing the elections without Sirisena’s help.
Had Rajapaksa not contested, the UPFA would have been united, and would have won, said Thilanga Sumathipala, a former Minister and media honcho. Rajapaksa loyalists had campaigned against those identified with Sirisena and brought about their defeat, Sumathipala said. The continued attacks of the pro-Rajapaksa small parties on those who had earlier worked for the unity of Sirisena and Rajapaksa, has forced UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha to resign from the post, he pointed out.
According to Sumathipala, most of the senior leaders of the SLFP will rally round Sirisena and join or support the National Government proposed by Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Dilan Perera, a lawyer and former Minister, was a vocal supporter of Rajapaksa’s candidature for Premiership. But he was always for a Sirisena-Rajapaksa rapprochement for the sake of the party. Perera is now with Sirisena and blames the smaller parties for opposing cooperation with Sirisena in the formation of a “Combined Government.’
Explaining his resignation from a minister’s post ahead of the parliamentary elections, Perera said that he was not comfortable being part of a government headed by a party which did not have an electoral mandate.
“The UNP, which was running the government, had only 48 MPs in a House of 225. The January 8 Presidential election had given Sirisena the mandate to rule. But the UNP had pick pocketed Sirisena’s mandate!” he quipped.
Perera says that power in the National Government should be equally shared by the UPFA/SLFP and the UNFGG.
“Although the UNFGG got more seats, the UPFA/SLFP was not far behind. It was a split mandate and this should be reflected in the Council of Ministers and the distribution of portfolios,” he said.
The formation of the Council of Ministers is proving to be difficult. To date, only the Prime Minister and three other cabinet ministers have been sworn-in, all from the UNP. Senior leaders from both sides are eyeing high profile or lucrative portfolios. Though there are committees to sort out issues, the final agreement is expected to be thrashed out by a troika comprising President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
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