The SLPP leadership persistently seeks Cabinet posts for its key members, but the President remains firm, knowing the SLPP has limited options and lacks public support for such demands
Politics make strange bedfellows. In Sri Lankan politics, it is a reality proven with precision. Nothing is impossible in the pursuit of power. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who holds the presidency, was elected to office with the backing of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) under surprising circumstances given the history of hostility between the two parties. But in politics, shared interests can create unexpected alliances.
The President was elected to office in the backdrop of political, social, and economic unrest, as the country grappled with snaking fuel queues, power outages, and essential shortages. While challenges persist, signs of an economic recovery are evident, leaving some hopeful for a brighter future.
Be that as it may, as the dust settles, the differences between the parties have surfaced. With the elections pending next year, the focus now shifts to electoral politics, with parties gearing up their electoral machinery. Every party, be it the ruling side or the opposition, is concerned about securing power at elections.
The President, with his party’s sole parliamentary representative Vajira Abeywardena, has governed the country with the SLPP for over a year. Compared with the situation that remained when the President took charge, what the country now witnesses is an improvement of it, although greater challenges lie ahead for proper, sustainable economic recovery. Nevertheless, the accomplishments on the ground are visible. There are no shortage of essentials, though the prices are still way high.
Politically, the achievement has propelled the President to a commanding position over the SLPP. It has allowed him more freedom in decision-making without being beholden to the dictates of the SLPP as such. His position is further bolstered by the SLPP MPs, who have obviously aligned themselves with the UNP rather than their own party. This leaves the SLPP in a politically weakened state.
It does not mean that everything is harmonious within the alliance and the President has a smooth sail. The SLPP leadership persistently seeks Cabinet posts for its key members, but the President remains firm, knowing the SLPP has limited options and lacks public support for such demands. As the SLPP struggles to revive its base that waned due to the dismal performance of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government, it finds itself in a precarious position, forcing them to work with the President while eschewing any radical action. Options are limited in the current political context for them.
Daily Mirror learns that discontent brews among the SLPP seniors who feel disillusioned without Cabinet positions. MP S.B. Dissanayake’s casual remark to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane about warning of political machinations to defeat the government in a crucial parliamentary vote underscores the degree of disillusionment.
However, the President does not seem to be carried away by such veiled threats. He is not ready to entertain the persistent request by the SLPP leadership to offer a few more Cabinet posts to party seniors such as Mr. Dissanayake, S.M. Chandrasena, Johnston Fernando and Rohitha Abeygunawardena.
Despite all, the party cannot pressurize the President beyond a point, particularly regarding matters such as the increase in the size of the Cabinet. Such a move does not enjoy public support. Political apathy prevails among people in general, and that is because of people’s dislike for the parties that governed the country. The traditional political forces including the SLPP have to rethink their political approaches as a result.
The SLPP has now started its re-organizational work in anticipation of elections next year. Probably, the party now goes around the country conducting meetings with its rank and file. Still, it is way below in a position to strike demands from the President. It was a fact proven on numerous occasions.
The SLPP could not stick to its guns on most matters during the past year. For example, it had concerns about the Anti-Corruption Bill, but it reached a consensus with the government at the end after a briefing by the legal luminaries. That is all due to a lack of options.
In the absence of options, the SLPP is now forced to work together with the government, eschewing radical options such as the breakaway from the government to form an alliance with the opposition. Political circumstances are not conducive at all for such an option.
In a bid to allay concerns of the SLPP seniors, the President’s team in the government proposed alternate posts for them. Yet, they remain adamant demanding nothing but Cabinet posts. No matter what, they would not quit the government.
It is true that some people are hopeful for a better future. The political landscape remains fluid, though. The future of these parties will ultimately be shaped by the economic performance in the coming months. Public sentiment towards the government’s policies and actions will play a pivotal role in determining which direction the electorate leans in the next election.
As expected in any electoral democracy, the parties will continue to revamp their vote bases. Alliances and nomination of presidential candidates will be determined by the political circumstances at the time concerned.
Meanwhile, an interesting political development is now taking place in view of the Presidential Election. A group of parliamentarians has got together under the leadership of MP Nimal Lanza to work for the candidacy of President Wickremesinghe. The group also commands the support of 40 MPs elected on the SLPP ticket. They are now in the initial stage of opening their political office in Rajagiriya, Colombo to carry out operations. Some MPs of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) such as Duminda Dissanayake and Lasantha Alagiyawanna are in the emerging political group.
The SLPP group which is loyal to party’s National Organizer Basil Rajapaksa is perturbed over some of its MPs throwing their weight openly behind the President. They make swipes at the President, even saying the party has no pact signed with him to nominate him as the next presidential candidate. Still, there is little they can do in the current political climate.
