Decline of SLFP and the rot in Lankan politics

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is a shadow of its old self. It makes the news daily for all the wrong reasons: namely, internal bickering, petty political squabbles, personality clashes, etc. The SLFP has little clout in the country’s political field now but the daily drama that is generated by different groups within the party trying their best to be heard over the other keeps it in the news.

It’s been close to seven and a half decades since the SLFP was founded by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. In a speech he made at the party’s inaugural session on 2 September 1951, Bandaranaike said the day not only marked the birth of a new political party but “it also ushers, in many ways, a new political era.” His words were prophetic. 

Less than five years after its founding, the SLFP won a landslide victory in the 1956 general elections and revolutionised politics in the country by ushering in the era of the “common man”. Bandaranaike became Prime Minister and even though his life was cut short by his assassination in September 1959, his widow Sirimavo Bandaranaike ably led the SLFP, followed by their daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga and later Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This is not to say the SLFP has not been without internal problems in the past. Anura Bandaranaike, along with Maithripala Senanayake broke away from the SLFP in 1980 only to return to the fold years later while Chandrika Kumaratunga, along with her late husband Vijaya Kumaratunga also broke away from the SLFP to start their own party, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party. She re-joined the party in 1991 and led an SLFP coalition to victory in 1994, putting an end to 17 years of UNP rule. In 2006, Mahinda Rajapaksa took over as SLFP leader and in 2015, the party leadership went to Maithripala Sirisena.

It’s no secret that the decline for the SLFP began with Sirisena taking over its reins. After his shock win at the Presidential election in 2015, when he was campaigned as a common candidate with support from parties across the board, Sirisena had the opportunity to rise above party politics and hand over the SLFP leadership to another party member. Instead, he spent a great deal of time during his years as president trying to fortify his position as SLFP leader.

The SLFP since its inception has been in government with coalition partners drawn from left-leaning parties but it managed to remain the dominant partner. However, after 2015, party supporters ditched Sirisena and joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) founded by Basil Rajapaksa and led by Mahinda Rajapaksa depriving the SLFP of its dominant position.

Today the SLFP is more fractured than ever before with a group loyal to Sirisena pulling in one direction and another group which operates with the blessings of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike pulling in another direction.

Several SLFP members who are serving in the cabinet of President Ranil Wickremesinghe including Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera are among those challenging Sirisena. This however has not deterred Sirisena who has brought in Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe into the SLFP fold and announced he would be the party’s presidential candidate. He has also appointed his son Daham Sirisena as the SLFP’s organiser for Polonnaruwa West.

Nepotism has been the salient feature of the main political parties in the country, be it the UNP, SLFP or the SLPP. Sirisena no doubt dreams of the day the leadership of the SLFP will pass onto his son. The unfolding drama around the SLFP is an example of all that is wrong with politics in the country and why voters should soundly defeat those whose only reason for clinging to power is to safeguard their personal interests.