By Saman Indrajith
National People’s Power (NPP) MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday said the police had been impartial in enforcing election laws following the temporary removal of Deshabandu Tennakoon as Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Speaking to The Island, Dr. Amarasuriya said the majority of voters had already decided whom to support.
She pointed out that the political empowerment of Sri Lankans, especially women, was important for the NPP. In this country, women’s political empowerment was often judged by how many of them were elected to parliament, provincial, or local councils. “However, this is not a reliable indicator of women’s political empowerment. Sri Lanka has had the world’s first female prime minister and one of the first female presidents, yet can we truly claim that women are politically empowered? We have a female quota for local councils too. We believe that the level of politically engaged women is a more accurate gauge,” she said.
Dr. Amarasuriya said the NPP had been encouraging women who participate in its activities to view themselves not merely as voters, but as citizens. “We tell them that as citizens, they have the responsibility to make positive contributions to society. Over the past few years, we believe many Sri Lankans have been empowered by our actions,” she said.
The NPP MP noted that for almost a year, people had been asking about the principles on which the NPP would govern. “People would ask, what distinguishes the NPP from other parties? The NPP leaders can speak well, but where are your policy documents? A few weeks ago, we presented our manifesto, which has also been condensed into an eight-page document that many people have read,” she said.
The manifesto, which took two and a half years to prepare, is endorsed by the NPP, with the party standing by every word, Dr. Amarasuriya stated. “This manifesto is the NPP’s contract with the people of the country,” she added. The MP further elaborated that around 400 individuals were involved in creating the manifesto, with 20 committees engaged in consultations, debates, and research.
Dr. Amarasuriya also observed that most NPP offices outside of the cities have become community hubs, where people gather to discuss, debate, share meals, and engage in various communal activities. She attributed the peaceful nature of the current election to the NPP’s growing popularity and the discipline of its members. “We do not put up millions of posters or instigate conflicts. On the contrary, those who previously engaged in election law violations and violence have been silent, as people no longer tolerate such behaviour. Typically, the NPP faces some violence during elections, but this time we have not,” she said.
She also commended the police for enforcing election laws more strictly than in the past, particularly after the temporary removal of Deshabandu Tennakoon as IGP. “The police have been very transparent and approachable. At our rallies, if they feel we are overstepping the guidelines set by the elections commission, they communicate with us clearly and respectfully. They have handled situations very well. It seems they too feel they can act independently in the future,” she added.
According to Dr. Amarasuriya, this election represents a shift in power—not from one group of politicians to another, but from politicians to the people. “The average Sri Lankan now seeks policies-based governance and a disciplined political culture,” she said. “The public has rejected politics based on false promises and violence.”
It is very likely that NPP will win the 21 September presidential election and once NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake is sworn in as president, the party intends to dissolve parliament as soon as possible, she revealed. “A mandate for the NPP is a mandate against this parliament. Neither the current parliament nor the cabinet of ministers aligns with the NPP’s vision for the country. We have three constitutional options for governing during the interim period before a general election. The first option is a very small cabinet of ministers to administer the country for approximately 50 days until the general election. The second option is for the president to appoint secretaries to manage these duties. The third option, which is highly unlikely, is to form a Cabinet that includes a few non-NPP MPs,” she said.
