The next step

Dissolving Parliament is only the start of an intense process that will end with the public selecting the next group of people to represent them until 2025. Given that Parliament has a strong role to play in governance, especially after the 19th Amendment and the significant challenges facing Sri Lanka, the main political parties and actors have a weighty responsibility on their shoulders.  

Selecting nominees from the party membership will be the next challenge for the two main contenders. The United National Party (UNP), which is struggling with deep internal divisions, will not only have to find a balance between Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe but also select candidates who have the firepower to eclipse the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

For the SLPP, the stakes are somewhat higher because there is clearly a battle emerging between the supporters of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The former will be seeking more positions for members of his ‘Viyathmaga’ and ‘Ëliya’ groups while the staunch followers of the latter will be fighting to retain their positions. Into this battle will be thrown in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members who many fear will get the short end of the stick in the nominations battle.  

In many ways the party to watch will be the SLPP because it is clearly its election to lose. In the battle for Executive power that is sure to emerge after the elections, both the President and the Prime Minister will lobby to have as many parliamentarians in their corner. This will be essential in the repealing of the 19th Amendment and Constitutional changes that are in the offing. Remaking or the introduction of a new Constitution matters for every citizen, in some ways more so if they belong to a minority, and this parliamentary election will decide how that process moves forward, whether it happens with the moderates and minorities or only the views of the majority.

The SLPP alliance will find it challenging to reach a two-thirds majority electorally and the door is already being propped open for crossovers, most likely from the UNP whose leadership issues are set to continue long after the Parliamentary Elections. In such a situation, the ethical and moral grounds become more important. Candidates hoping to represent their voters in the House should give a pledge they will not cross over once they are elected. This has been an issue that has sparked controversy before and is likely to rear its ugly head again. Therefore it is only fair play for the voters to know if their vote will be wasted or not. Parliamentarians who have misbehaved in Parliament and disrespected the institution should ideally not be given another chance to do so again.  

Another point that political parties and their members have to work on is a peaceful election. Sri Lanka, already hit by the Easter Sunday attacks and reeling from the global impact of the coronavirus, cannot also contend with irresponsible politicians. Campaigning must be conducted in as civilised and sustainable a way as possible and there cannot be any compromises on this point.

Whatever the outcome of the Parliamentary Elections, serious issues face Sri Lanka. The economy will be a major concern before, during and after elections. The Government will have to raise funds to repay debt, introduce an interim Budget, strengthen macroeconomic fundamentals and set the course for uncomfortable reforms if Sri Lanka is to see sustainable growth.