November 10, 2024 (LBO) - Parliamentary elections are just days away, and a common theme I have heard over the last few days is that many people don't know who to vote for.
After Sri Lanka's monumental 2024 presidential election, which brought NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) to power, there seems to have developed a voter fatigue. NPP candidates are unknown, and candidates from the other parties are trying to get the attention of a tired electorate.
In the backdrop of these candidates, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya of the NPP leads the government campaign, while SJB leader Sajith Premadasa is the leading opposition candidate. UNP Deputy leader Ruwan Wijewardene is the senior most political leader in the alliance represented by the gas cylinder symbol, as former President and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has declined to contest the parliamentary elections. Namal Rajapaksa is also relevant as the senior most leader of the SLPP. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, like Wickremesinghe, has also declined to contest this parliamentary election. There are also a smattering of minor opposition parties who may snag a seat or two.
The Presidential election saw the current opposition deeply fragmented, which allowed AKD to sneak into the presidency with just 42% of the total votes cast. In the upcoming parliamentary elections, the opposition continues to be fragmented, limiting their ability to check the government and one day build a coalition capable of forming a government.
This is a problem that will need to be solved, unless the opposition wants to remain in opposition forever. It is with this in mind that Ruwan Wijewardene becomes an interesting candidate.
In a world where political candidates trade unbecoming insults with each other, building trusted political relationships in Sri Lanka is almost impossible. Betrayals, back stabbing, bad mouthing and bickering are the status quo in Sri Lankan politics.
Ruwan is an interesting Sri Lankan political leader in that he has not been a part of any of this unruly behaviour. He is one of the few politicians that has not played to the gallery, or made false promises. Over a long political career he has developed a reputation of trustworthiness with political leaders of all parties. He doesn't hit rivals below the belt and has certainly never stabbed anyone in the back.
He has been a loyal soldier for the UNP, hence his ascension as the Deputy Leader of the party, winning a competitive election against formidable adversary Ravi Karunanayake. He stayed with the UNP despite the majority of the party leaving to form the SJB. This loyalty has cost him politically, but this same conduct has also cemented his reputation as someone you can count on.
Traditional UNP voters in the Gampaha District can cast their votes for Ruwan Wijewardene with confidence that he will once again strive to unite the party. He will also strive to unite the opposition and offer a viable alternative to AKD's NPP.
The current opposition would be in power today if they buried the hatchet and united ahead of the Presidential election. The hatchet can still be buried. Unity is still possible and that unity is something Ruwan Wijewardene is uniquely positioned to deliver.