ECONOMYNEXT –Early results of Sri Lanka’s ninth presidential poll held on Saturday showed Marxists Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was heading for a landslide victory to unseat President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government.
Official results of postal votes from 15 out of 22 districts and three out of 160 constituencies showed Dissanayaka was leading with around 54 percent votes so far counted.
The victory to a non-elitist common man for the first time shows public anger on successive government’s poor governance, wrong economic policies, and failure to eliminate corruption, political analysts say.
The island nation in the past also has witnessed nine key regime changes either by defeating the president or ruling government since 1948 independence. Here are the details of such regime changes:
1. General Election – 1956
Outcome: Center-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike defeated the center-right United National Party (UNP).
Significance: This election marked a major political shift. Bandaranaike promoted Sinhala nationalism, introducing policies like making Sinhala the only official language, which deeply affected ethnic relations in the country.
2. General Elections (March) – 1960
Outcome: The UNP under Dudley Senanayake won due to internal conflicts in the rival SLFP. But his party lacked a majority to govern effectively. As a result, the country had to go for another election within four months.
3. General Elections (July) – 1960
Outcome: SLFP under Sirimavo Bandaranaike (widow of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike) won a decisive victory.
Significance: Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first female Prime Minister. Her government introduced socialist and nationalization policies, deepening the divide between the Sinhala and Tamil populations. The internal conflict in the SLFP got settled with Sirimavo, the widow of slain Bandaranaike as its new leader. She pledged to continue her husband’s policies, notably the Sinhala Only Act, and to proceed with repatriation of the estate Tamils to India. However, she promised to reach a compromise with the main Tamil Party. The UNP, led by Dudley Senanayake, refused to compromise with the main Tamil Party. It also differed with the SLFP over economic policy. The SLFP called for a socialist program of nationalization of both private enterprises and religious schools; the UNP preferred to leave both in private hands.
4. General Election – 1977
Outcome: The UNP under J.R. Jayewardene won by a landslide, ousting the SLFP.
Significance: This was a crucial election that brought about significant economic liberalization. Jayewardene introduced a new constitution in 1978, creating an executive presidency, dramatically altering the structure of governance in Sri Lanka.
5. General Election – 1994
Outcome: The People’s Alliance (PA), a coalition led by SLFP under Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the daughter of Bandaranaike and Sirimawo, won to end 170 year UNP rule.
Significance: Kumaratunga was elected president in the same year. Her administration sought to address ethnic tensions with the Tamil community, though civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued.
6. General Election – 2001
Outcome: The UNP, led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, won, defeating the PA government.
Significance: Wickremesinghe’s government attempted to negotiate a peace process with the LTTE while resurrecting an ailing economy after the separatists destroyed the island nation’s main airport and a raft of flights in the national carrier. A ceasefire was signed in 2002, although it ultimately failed.
7. General Election – 2004
Outcome: The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), led by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, a new coalition headed by the SLFP, won.
Significance: Kumaratunga’s party with Mahinda Rajapaksa as the opposition leader accused Wickremesinghe of burdening the people with taxes, compromising national security to sustain somewhat controversial ceasefire agreement, and high cost of living. Mahinda Rajapaksa later became President in 2005, taking a hardline stance against the LTTE, and his government ultimately defeated the LTTE in 2009, ending the nearly three-decade-long civil war.
8. Presidential Election – 2015
Outcome: The UNP-backed candidate Maithripala Sirisena defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Significance: This was a surprising election, as Rajapaksa was widely expected to win an unprecedented third term. Sirisena’s victory ended the 10-year rule of Rajapaksa, ushering in promises of democratic reforms and reducing the power of the executive presidency along with tough action against those involved in corrupt deals.
9. Presidential Election – 2019
Outcome: Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the nationalist Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) won the election, defeating Sajith Premadasa of the UNP.
Significance: Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former defense secretary under his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa from 2005-2015, credited for his role in the defeat of the LTTE, came to power amidst growing Sinhala Buddhist nationalist sentiments. He also promised tough actions against Islamist extremes after Easter Sunday suicide attack that killed at least 269 people, mostly Catholics amid bombing on churches and high end hotels. This along with 2020 parliament election victory with a two-third majority gave the Rajapaksa family significant political power with the family members holding key posts including the presidency (Gotabaya), prime ministership (Mahinda), and finance minister portfolio (Basil Rajapaksa). They moved to consolidate executive power once again. (Colombo/September 22/2022)