Tuesday, 25 November 2014 00:15
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THE pace is finally picking up for the Opposition presidential campaign with discussions now underway to decide on a name and symbol for the new platform spearheaded by common candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
Speculation over possible crossovers continues to thicken the air, with this week’s Parliamentary sessions on the Budget and other matters promising to be feisty. Gaining new life from Sirisena, the Opposition will be pushing to see how many people it can gather into its ranks not only to reduce the Government’s majority in Parliament but also score crucial voter confidence and build momentum in the short weeks before the 8 January vote.
As the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been in full swing, campaigning months ahead of the official announcement of the presidential run-off, the Opposition will have to mobilise massive resources to make its presence felt to the voter. Having used up most of its focus to gain a common candidate, the Opposition must now scramble to ensure its battle cry of ending the executive presidency is heard far and wide.
More crucially, it will have to engage on other fronts that have resonance with the people such as high levels of corruption, nepotism, undermined democratic institutions and inequitable growth to counter Rajapaksa’s well-oiled campaign juggernaut. Already every road around the country is festooned with what he views are his greatest achievements and the plentiful handouts outlined in the Budget will be difficult to counter.
The Government over the past few days has been quick to put any dissatisfied ranks in order, according to Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who has assured the famous “saloon door” of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has been shut, at least temporarily. It remains to be seen which way the doors will swing in the next few weeks.
The first of the twin greatest challenges for the common candidate at this point is to convince voters of United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s competency in becoming prime minister. After all, once 100 days are over, to all intents and purposes it will be Wickremesinghe heading the country and not Sirisena.
The second point is uniting minorities and Buddhists behind the common candidate. The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has acknowledged it has received an invitation from Sirisena for talks. This could be a boost for the common candidate but at the same time may isolate minority parties that are wary of the JHU and BBS combination. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga could be a unifying force as she is generally viewed as having pro-minority views, but whether this is sufficient remains to be seen.
Elections cost money and the Opposition will need to spruce up its coffers to stage a visible campaign. Where the funds will come from is anybody’s guess at this point. The private sector, while traditionally seen as UNP, has benefited from the massive infrastructure put in place by the current Government and political stability to boot. Therefore, breaking this continuity will make them wary. The Opposition has to reach out to the dons of industry with its economic plan, but so far has not managed to do so convincingly.
Yet another crucial point is election violence. The tighter the race, the more casualties it will spawn. Election monitors have already complained of sporadic shooting incidents in Madampe of the Puttalam District and Mawathagama of the Kurunegala District that were largely ignored by Police. They also say 350 Policemen were transferred just two days ahead of the election. Monitors have urged the Elections Commissioner to establish a special Police unit under him but no definite steps have yet been taken. This perhaps is the most worrying thing of all.
