By Kassapa
Forming political alliances are part and parcel of Sri Lanka politics, especially at election time. The main opposition party in Parliament, the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) launched what it called the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS) last week amidst much fanfare. It claimed to bring together diverse political forces with the common objective of ensuring Sajith Premadasa’s election as President. Will those best laid plans go awry?
If Premadasa is to be given credit where it is due, that should be for keeping the motely crowd of the SJB together in the face of repeated attempts by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his operatives in the United National Party (UNP) to poach them into their camp.
Many were the proud boasts of those such as Vajira Abeywardena and Harin Fernando that varying numbers of SJB MPs would cross over en masse to support Wickremesinghe. That hasn’t happened so far. Sarath Fonseka left to contest the election but the SJB would consider that good riddance of bad rubbish. Rajitha Senaratne joined Wickremesinghe on Tuesday. Kumara Welgama, also from the Kalutara district, may still do so but the SJB wouldn’t worry too much about that. Among others, Rishad Bathiudeen is still dilly-dallying, but he was never a UNPer who left that party to join the SJB anyway.
Premadasa and the SJB also had a moral victory last week: the Supreme Court upheld the expulsions of Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, depriving them of both their seats in Parliament and their ministerial portfolios. It was a judicial slap in the face for the duo who took the lead in castigating the SJB and Premadasa after their defection to the Wickremesinghe camp.
Despite all this, the big news from the SJB was the formation of the SJS. With it, the SJB’s aim is to popularise the claim that most ‘right thinking’, ‘progressive’ forces in the country are aligning themselves under its banner- and not that of their principal rival at this time, the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (JJB) and their candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Does this claim live up to this hype? This must be examined by assessing the partners of this alliance. Is it a grouping brought about by the sharing of common ideals or is it an alliance of convenience brought together only by the common intention of capturing power at the next election?
Arguably, the main partner of this alliance is the Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa (NJS) led by the duo, G.L. Peiris and Dullas Alahapperuma. Interestingly, Peiris, Nalaka Godahewa and Dilan Perera identified themselves with the SJB at first. Alahapperuma and Charitha Herath joined later. It is known that Alahapperuma made some overtures to join the JJB which were firmly rejected.
What is common among all these ‘new entrants’ is their significant contribution to the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019. Peiris was no less a person than the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Godahewa was Rajapaksa’s economic expert and Alahapperuma was his media spokesman. Now, they are all with the SJS and endorsing Premadasa. It is highly doubtful as to whether the average voter will see this as a sincere move or as just as a strategic attempt by these individuals to ensure their re-election to the next Parliament.
Then, there is the Dayasiri Jayasekara, representing a faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). In a farcical state of affairs, the SLFP is supporting three separate candidates at this presidential election: Jayasekara is endorsing Premadasa, The faction led by Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera is supporting Wickremesinghe and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, along with support from Maithripala Sirisena, is contesting on his own, albeit from another little-known political party. Jayasekara joining forces with Premadasa therefore has little relevance to what the SLFP represents and is a desperate attempt by the Kurunegala district MP to stay relevant in the current political landscape.
Jayasekara’s move has made for strange bedfellows. Accompanying him into the SJS is his long-term ally, Thilanga Sumathipala who now shares the same platform with his bete noire in world of cricket, former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga. Sumathipala is not renowned for his scruples but Ranatunga is known for standing up for principles. Social media posts lampooning the duo’s joint appearance appeared quickly and won’t help Premadasa’s cause.
Although not at the ceremony to launch the SJS, SLPP parliamentarian Sudarshini Fernandopulle announced her support for Premadasa later. Her husband, late minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was a close friend of Mahinda Rajapaksa, being buddies during their Law College days. Ms. Fernandopulle suddenly joining the Premadasa camp lends credence to the theory that the SJS will accept anyone who is willing to join them and, unlike the JJB, is not discerning about who they will accept.
In another last minute move, Champika Ranawaka also rejoined the SJB-led group. The Wickremesinghe camp is busy digging video clips of Ranawaka engaging in Premadasa-bashing just months ago. Again, this is evidence that the SJB is willing to accept anyone to boost its prospects.
Besides all this, the entry of politicians from varied groups muddies the waters for the current crop of SJB parliamentarians who formed the party and have been with it during the past five years in the opposition, weathering blows from the government. New entrants, most with a higher profile than backbench SJB MPs, presents a challenge to the re-election prospects of these MPs as they have better name recognition.
At present, such issues are not raised as they are focused on the presidential poll and not the next general election but they will surely resurface when the September 21 election is done and dusted. Then, Premadasa will have his hands full trying to appease the various factions and individuals who will be demanding their pound of flesh in terms of nominations.
Most of all though, what the SJB and Premadasa gain by way of numbers and grassroots support these multiple parties bring to the SJS, is likely to be offset by the loss of credibility by entertaining such a disparate group of people with links to the previous regime. In the final analysis, in what promises to be a closely contested election, that may well be the difference between winning and losing.
