National List and political wranglings

The allocation of National List seats after a Parliamentary election always raises eyebrows given that there is much wrangling to get in through the bonus Parliament seats. The National People’s Power (NPP) won 18 of the 29 seats and was the first to name persons to fill the seats. Their nominees included two who contested the General election but could not get enough votes to secure a seat. The two are Abubakar Adambawa (Digamadulla District candidate) and Upali Samarasinghe (Vanni District candidate). 

Naming candidates who contested and lost a seat has been somewhat controversial and has drawn criticism including from the JVP/NPP in the past but once in office, ground realities make it necessary to make such decisions.

It is debatable if candidates who contest and fail to enter Parliament should enter through the National List with a majority view that it should not be so while there is an argument that those who contested have secured a certain number of votes but not enough to make the cut and hence nominating them as NL MPs is reasonable.

While the NPP has named all its NL candidates, for the Opposition parties it is proving to be a headache. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) which won five NL seats has so far named only Ranjith Maddumabanada as one of the five while the decision on others is pending. No doubt there are many contesting to get the other four seats.

The NDF which won two NL seats is embroiled in the most embarrassing situation with former minister Ravi Karunanayake taking on the task of naming himself as one of the NL MPs and having his name gazetted by the Election Commission. The NDF has said that this had been done without the authorisation of the party but there is no way to undo what has been done unless Karunanayake withdraws his nomination.

The question that arises is why Karunanayake’s name was included in the NDF NL in the first place given that he is embroiled in numerous court cases and has serious allegations against him. There is also no decision on who will take the other seat as of now with some canvassing for former Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijeweera to be nominated. He contested in Matara but could not win a seat.

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) which won one NL seat nominated its General Secretary Dr. P. Sathiyalingam to enter the Parliament. This was after former ITAK MP M.A. Sumanthiran, who failed to get re-elected, was offered the seat but declined the offer.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna named Namal Rajapaksa for its solitary National List slot while the Sarvajana Belaya party named its founder Dilith Jayaweera to the single NL seat it won. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress also won a single NL seat and is yet to name a member.

The idea behind the NL was to give an opportunity to persons who are unlikely to gain representation through a direct vote to enter Parliament. They were to be representatives of marginalised segments of the population due to ethnicity, religion, profession, etc. But over the years it has become a vehicle for party loyalists to enter Parliament and all parties have continued in this manner. There are many who have entered Parliament through the NL who, having served one term, are drawing lifelong pensions, though many have forgotten such MPs ever served in Parliament.

What parties must consider when naming NL members is if they can contribute meaningfully by being MPs. If it’s only to enjoy the privileges that come with the post, it is meaningless and an insult to the voters.