ECONOMYNEXT — With five weeks to go to Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election, the island nation’s opposition parties are still in talks on what party symbols to contest under.
The United National Party (UNP) and the faction of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) that backed former president Ranil Wickremesinghe at the presidential election have yet to decide whether to contest under the UNP’s elephant or the gas cylinder under which Wickremesinghe had to contest the presidential poll as an independent candidate.
The UNP’ Vajira Abeyardana told reporters that discussions are under way for a common alliance to contest all districts under the gas cylinder with the exception of two.
“It is very clear that the National People’s Power (NPP) government is following Wickremesinghe’s path. We must support that,” said Abeywardana.
“There are discussions around everyone contesting under the gas cylinder while contestants in the Wanni and Nuwara Eliya districts run with the elephant symbol. These talks are set to conclude,” he added.
Former MP P Radhakrishnan said the elephant now may be a forgotten symbol.
“We have heard that it will be the elephant. But people have now forgotten the elephant. It’s more competitive this time,” he said.
The UNP’s Ashu Marasinghe, meanwhile, has refused to contest under a symbol that isn’t the UNP’s traditional elephant.
“We call for unification. If the entire opposition gets together, it will be difficult for the NPP to win a majority. But if you contest separately, not just a majority, they may even get a two-thirds,” he said.
Saman Rathanapriya of the UNP has ruled out any possibility of the elephant returning, however.
“There are private proposals like that. There are those asking for the elephant. If you have to give symbols that way, a common agreement will be impossible. So what is essential right now is to contest together under the gas cylinder. There’s no other solution,” he said.
“No, it won’t be the elephant,” he added in response to a question.
Meanwhile, former minister Bandula Gunawardena has decided to sit out this parliamentary election.
“We have now become a nation of people frying sausages in a pan on the mouth of a volcano. There is opposition from the people to what we did. I have made a clear decision to not contest this time as I do not wish to be part of that,” he said.
Palani Digambaram of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) said: “The people have given a mandate to AKD. But it’s the opposition groups that got more votes. So it won’t be a big issue this election.”
Former MP M A Sumanthiran said the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has decided to go it alone this election except in one district.
“That’s what it looks like. In Trincomalee, we will contest under our own symbol but our list will include candidates from other parties,” he said. (Colombo/Oct07/2024)