Hard battle for Sajith faction to secure UNP leadership

MPs who are loyal to Premadasa will prefer to join the proposed new alliance rather than carrying out a futile exercise to win leadership

• Political maneuvering in favour of Premadasa is a challenging task at the Working Committee 

• No matter what, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is not ready to let go of the leadership 

• According to the results of the last presidential elections, the UNP has shrunk in size

In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, nor are there permanent political alliances. Only interests remain, and alliances are formed as the situation demands to realise aspirations. This is exactly what Sri Lankans have been experiencing for the past few years. 

     It is common knowledge as to how the 2015 political change made way to the emergence of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), relegating Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to the third rank in the country’s political arena. Today, the SLFP is not much in the reckoning. 

After the 2019 presidential elections now, the United National Party (UNP) is in its worst ever identity crisis since a formidable faction under the stewardship of MP Sajith Premadasa has decided to cobble together an electoral front along with the likeminded parties in view of the general elections coming up soon.

The Premadasa faction clinched the presidential candidacy after a hard internal battle. But, the party fared badly at the elections with him at the helm.   He did not lose entirely. After the elections, Premadasa actually gained by becoming the Leader of the Opposition. Still, a major battle lies ahead for him- that is to become the UNP Leader.    It is the plum position that matters, and he is well aware of it.  His loyalists who now form the absolute majority of the UNP’s 77 member parliamentary group have flexed their muscle to obtain leadership for him to undertake a new political course. They even had an unofficial vote to convey the message that Premadasa commands the majority support. 

No matter what, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is not ready to let go of the leadership post as things stand at the moment. Also, the UNP constitution does not provide for the removal of the party leader merely through a vote at the parliamentary group meeting. 

It is a decision to be made by the party’s Working Committee to be adopted at the annual convention.  

The UNP had a special party convention on October 3, 2019 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo ahead of the presidential elections. 

The Resolution No.3, adopted by the convention says, “We reiterate the decision by the United National Party’s Working Committee which convened on January 24, 2019 to elect Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe MP as the leader of the party,”

Accordingly, a fresh decision on the leadership can only be taken by the Working Committee and ratified by the annual or special convention later.   The appointment of members to the Working Committee is also an annual event. Of course, there are ex- officio members. But, the present leader has a quota for his nominees, and that is quite a number.    Not that all the UNP parliamentarians. The Working Committee for 2020 is yet to be appointed. 

Political maneuvering in favour of Premadasa is a challenging task at the Working Committee under such circumstances. 

Given such ground realities and compelling circumstances, most MPs who are loyal to Premadasa will prefer to join the proposed new alliance rather than carrying out a futile exercise to win leadership. 

For this purpose, preliminary discussions have always been conducted with the likeminded parties such as the Tamil People’s Front (TPF), the Jathika Hela Urumuya (JHU) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

The UNP discussed the formation of such an alliance before the presidential elections too. The new alliance to be formed in view of the parliamentary elections will be identical to it.  It will have a collegial leadership.

If the Premadasa faction joins hands with it, it will be a major erosion of the UNP base. The present leadership will really have a hard time.

 
According to the results of the last presidential elections, the UNP has shrunk in size as a political party in the Sinhala Buddhist electorates.  Premadasa is attempting to popularise the party among Sinhala Buddhists constituents.   In a clear departure from the past traditions of the party, he decided to have ‘Dhamma Deshana (sermons)’ every Poya Day at the opposition leader’s office in Colombo. Such efforts will prove ineffective until they bring about policy and attitude changes in this regard. 

In the formation of the new political alliance, the Premadasa faction will also make some strategic decisions. 

As part of it,   All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) led by MP Rishad Bathiudeen will not be party to the new alliance.   MP Bathiudeen faces allegations regarding Easter Sunday attack. The Premadasa faction will conclude exclusion of the ACMC from the proposed alliance enabling it to contest   in its own. A final decision has not yet been made.  The ACMC, as a party, has its own base in the north and the east. So, going solo at the general elections will not place it at any disadvantageous position in electoral terms. 

The SLPP or the Government has also started preparatory work for the elections.  President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will dissolve Parliament on March 2, 2020, the very next day after he is constitutionally empowered to do so.  If that is the case, the elections can be conducted on a date between April 25 and May 9. 

It is learned that April 25 is the date preferred by the Government. The SLPP will also team up with other parties that stood by it at the presidential elections to contest the parliamentary elections.  The party will not compromise its lotus bud symbol, though.  The SLFP used to insist on a common symbol instead of the lotus bud symbol.  Yet, it is highly unlikely that the SLPP would give way for it. In such an eventuality, the SLFP would not have any choice, but to fall in line with the SLPP. 

Besides, Viyath Maga, the organization of professionals that unrolled the carpet for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to enter into politics, will secure nominations for some of its members to contest elections on the SLPP ticket. This has created mild unrest between the MPs and some Viyath Maga nominees in some electorates. 

 
The two main parties have fresh hurdles ahead of the presidential elections in this manner.  The governing party is always better equipped to sort out internal  issues.