‘Elpitiya result proves NPP cannot take things for granted’

The Leader of Independent Group 1 contesting Colombo district, Chamara Nakalanda, yesterday (28) said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s push for an overwhelming majority in Parliament at the forthcoming General Election is frightening and may pose a serious threat to representative democracy.

Civil society activist Nakalanda said that the National People’s Front (NPP) chief who is also the leader of the JVP owed an explanation why the parties he led wanted to rid Parliament of the Opposition.

Perhaps President Dissanayake desired a commanding dictatorial majority, similar to the victory secured by President J. R. Jayewardene at the 1977 parliamentary election. But the public know the dreadful consequences of that JRJ victory, Nakandala said, referring to the abusing of that mandate to pursue a destructive political agenda.

“What we need is a Parliament represented by many political parties and groups,” Nakalanda said, pointing out that on the contrary Dissanayake, as a lawmaker, had repeatedly declared in the past that a government with a 2/3 majority could be quite destructive.

Referring to President Dissanayake’s recent speeches at Katunayake, Polonnaruwa and Trinocomalee, Nakalanda said that the ruling party’s political stand baffled the country. However, the outcome of the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha was nothing but a warning to the NPP and a tremendous boost to democracy, Nakalanda said.

The Elpitiya result proved beyond doubt that no one could take things for granted. Traditionally largely socialist oriented Elpitiya electorate has declared that the people couldn’t be swayed to accept the concept of one party rule, regardless of the political-economic-social crisis caused by those who ruled the country hitherto, the political activist said.

The ground reality is that the NPP couldn’t take at least one seat more than the combined Opposition at Elpitiya and the 30-member local government body was equally divided between the NPP and the Opposition. “That sends a strong signal to the electorate.”

Nakalanda stressed that in a way the Elpitiya result reflected the presidential election outcome as the combined Opposition polled more votes than the winner. He was referring to Dissanayake’s failure to obtain 50% + 1 vote at the Presidential Election to be a clear-cut winner.

Acknowledging NPP’s victory in terms of the largest block of seats one party could secure at the parliamentary election is a foregone conclusion, Nakalanda urged the people to elect a sufficient number of Opposition MPs. “Parliament shouldn’t be devoid of an Opposition. Whatever the wrongs and shortcomings on the part of major political parties which ruled the country in the past, the Parliament shouldn’t be devoid of the Opposition,” Nakalanda said.

Nakalanda said that the culture of switching sides, following general elections, should be stopped. Nakalanda added that they were strongly opposed to lawmakers switching sides at the expense of the political party or the independent group they originally represented. The despicable practice heavily contributed to the deterioration of the parliamentary democracy over the years, he said.

Responding to another query, Nakalanda said that though they had been engaged in politics and were genuinely interested in making a difference, the Election Commission has so far deprived them recognition as a political party, hence the decision to field an independent group under the symbol of a ‘Gift box.’

“EC rejected our applications in 2020 and 2022. We believe EC’s decision is not fair,” Nakalanda said, adding that they were forced to contest selected one district due to their inability to obtain one symbol and the independent group bearing number 1 for all electoral districts. Had the EC granted us approval, we could have contested under the ticket of Parapuraka Balaya.

Nakalanda said that Parapuraka Balaya pursued what he called practical politics taking into consideration vital issues that affected the country at all levels.

According to him, their effort was to build a strong political movement against those who governed the country irresponsibly since the British granted the then Ceylon independence. In spite of receiving independence without bloodshed, we couldn’t achieve real freedom, Nakalanda said, adding that the deterioration caused by the executive, legislature and judiciary hadn’t been properly ascertained.

Nakalanda said that the electorate should take into consideration that a political party that had never been in power was about to take control of the Parliament, having secured the presidency, many political veterans giving up active politics though they may appear before the people from time to time, and the weakening of the Opposition due to the powers that be unleashing police on political opponents in the guise of anti-corruption investigations.

Nakalanda said that the country is in a crossroads and nothing could be as dangerous as creating an authoritarian administration (SF)