Newton’s third Law of Motion and Sri Lankan politics

By Vishvanath

Politics and physics are worlds apart, as is obvious, and the Newtonian laws have nothing to do with political theories, but a recent development in Sri Lanka’s national politics shows that ‘for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’. In simpler terms, if you push against a wall, the wall pushes back on you with an equal force. The JVP-led did something similar to pushing a wall in electoral politics to propel itself to power at the expense of all other main political parties, whose cumulative reaction is now felt. It took on others, and they have forged a common alliance and already begun to co-operate at the local government (LG) level.

The NPP, which had only three seats in the last Parliament, turned itself around, and won three elections—presidential, parliamentary and local government—in a row by lumping all its political opponents together, condemning them as an evil force that had ruined the country for 76 years, and projecting itself as the only clean political force deserving an opportunity to rid the country of corruption and bring about a regime change. This rigid dichotomy worked well for the NPP in the presidential and parliamentary election, but it did not prove equally effective in the local government polls, where it won 266 out of 339 local councils to which elections were held, but it could not win working majorities in most of them, and its national vote share dropped from 61.5% to 43% obtained in last year’s parliamentary election, which marked a watershed in the history of Sri Lanka’s electoral politics, with the NPP securing a staggering 159 seats.

Opposition unity pays in some councils with NPP pluralities

The terms of 161 out of 339 local government bodies to which elections were held on 06 May, across the country, commenced on June 02, but 178 councils have remained hung. Elections were not held to two local government institutions on 06 May—the Kalmunai Urban Council due to a court case and the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), which was elected in 2024. The NPP controls the Elpitiya PS.

Following the election of chairpersons in the councils where the NPP has clear majorities, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently declared that the NPP would consolidate its hold on the hung councils where it had obtained pluralities, under its own steam, or with the help of others, if needs be. The NPP said before the LG polls that it would never join forces with others—political parties and independent groups—it vilified as corrupt outfits. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, during the NPP’s LG poll campaign, persistently urged the people not to vote for the Independent Groups, which she called fronts for the rejected, corrupt politicians. The battle for the control of the hung councils has been raging, and the NPP has already failed to consolidate its power, even with the help of Independent Groups, in about 10 local councils where it has pluralities.

Interestingly, the NPP has had to make a humiliating about-turn and woo the very politicians it condemned as corrupt in a bid to seize control of the hung councils.

The SLPP has secured the chairpersonship in the Kuliyapitiya PS, where it has only 06 seats as opposed to the NPP’s 21 and the SJB’s 09. The SLPP mustered 25 votes in the election to the post of chairperson, with the help of the SJB and others including the UPFA and the UNP.

The SJB has secured control of the Kadugannawa UC, where it has 04 seats. The NPP, which has 06 seats, enlisted the backing of an Independent member and obtained 07 votes in the contest. The SJB received the backing of others including the UNP and the SLPP and secured 08 votes.

The NPP also failed to gain control of the Udubeddera PS (Kurunegala), where it has 09 seats and the SJB only 06. The Chairman of that council was elected from the SLPP, which has only 03 seats. It polled 10 votes and the NPP had to settle for its 09 votes. The SJB, the UNP and the UPFA backed the SLPP.

The NPP fought quite a battle to seize control of the Akurna PS, where the SJB obtained a plurality by winning 15 seats with the NPP coming second with 10 seats. The SJP polled 16 votes in the election to the post of Chairperson, with the help of others, and the NPP could secure only 13 votes, backed by three Independent members.

The NPP, however, succeeded in gaining control of the Haldummulla PS, where it obtained 09 seats as opposed to the SJB’s 06. The NPP won over two Independent members and polled 11 votes, and the SJB could muster only 10 votes.

Common opposition meets the press

The Spokespersons of the united Opposition, representing the SJB, the UNP, the SLPP and the UPFA gave a press conference in Colombo on Thursday (June 12) to announce their parties’ decision to co-operate in the local councils. They said they had the backing of several other parties including the Sarvajana Balaya.

UNP Spokesperson Thalatha Athukorale said the Opposition parties had come together in keeping with the popular will reflected in the LG polls results. She said the people had not given the NPP working majorities in many local councils as they had lost faith in it and wanted the Opposition to control those institutions together. SJB Spokesman Tissa Attanayake described the coming together of the Opposition parties as a strategic move to countervail the NPP’s power, and together they would beat the NPP to seize control of over 100 hung councils. UPFA Spokesman Lasantha Alagiyawanna also said the NPP had driven the Opposition parties to join forces for the sake of the people, as the government had failed to live up the people’s expectations. SLPP Spokesman Sagara Kariyawasam said the coming together of the Opposition parties was not a destination but a new journey, which had just begun. He said the NPP had been exposed for its lies and inability to govern the country, and therefore it was the duty of the Opposition to come forward to put things right and serve the interest of the public, whom, he said, the NPP had taken for a ride. He said the NPP had come to power, promising relief to the people but it had increased taxes and tariffs instead. He cited the recent electricity tariff hike as an example.

The Opposition, or at least, the collective of parties that have officially joined forces at the LG level, is on cloud nine. However, forming a grand Opposition is one thing, but keeping it together vis-à-vis the competing interests of its members, group dynamics and dialectical tensions, is quite another. It is too early for optimism.