What a tangled web politicians weave to deceive voters

Election time is a period for formation of new alliances, cross overs, dealing making, etc., and these are in full swing with the Presidential election months away.

On Friday, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a breakaway group from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramauna (SLPP) led by MPs G.L. Peiris, Dilan Perera, Nalaka Godahewa and several others.

The group calling themselves the Freedom People’s Congress (Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa) pledged to work with the SJB at the next elections. Missing from the alliance was onetime presidential aspirant MP Dullas Alahapperuma. It is not clear as yet which side he will join.

This alliance is not the first nor will be the last of many such the public will see in the months ahead. Several seniors in the SJB such as MP Champika Ranawaka and Sarath Fonseka are forging separate paths for their political journey ahead and are likely to form another group before it aligns with one of the main parties contesting the polls.

There are claims from the UNP as well as the SJB that many more are lining up to join them ahead of the elections and there may be many surprises on the way. The JVP-led National People Power (NPP) claims that overtures have been made to them from those seeking to join them but say they are selective about who is taken on board.

It is evident by now that the majority of SLPP MPs will back incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe if he chooses to contest the presidency. So far, he’s remained non-committal, but it seems increasingly likely that he will make another run for the presidency. If so, it will be the third time he will be contesting a presidential election, after failed bids in 1999 and 2005.

Chief Government Whip Minister Prasanna Ranatunga claimed in a televised interview recently that 80-90% of SLPP MPs are backing the incumbent president. Ranatunga was of the view that the time is not inopportune for MP Namal Rajapaksa, who was recently appointed as the SLPP’s national organiser replacing Basil Rajapaksa, to make a bid for the presidency. The SLPP is yet to make an official announcement on who would be its candidate with businessmen Dhammika Perera as well as Dilith Jayaweera among those who are pushing ahead to fulfil their political aspirations.

A clearer picture will emerge in the coming months as to who the leading candidates are and along with it will also come serious campaigning to win over the voters. Both the SJB and the NPP have been in campaign mode for months now and will keep up the momentum as the election draws closer.

SLPP MPs on their part will be eager to back a candidate they feel can help them remain in power, but no member of the Rajapaksa family is likely to get the backing of the majority given public anger that is directed at the family.

The UNP on its part is eager to form a broad alliance from which its candidate can contest. It is also a bid to resurrect the UNP which suffered its worst defeat at the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The political tapestry for the upcoming presidential polls looks more varied and colourful than previous ones and the public is well tuned to the political developments in the country. The country is not out of the woods yet economically and this is one area that would be a deciding factor for voters. There is no doubt the usual mix of ethno-religious rhetoric will come to play as the polls draw closer.

People wanted a system change, a break from the old but what they will get is old wine in a new bottle. None of the leading candidates fighting to come to power offer real change. For the voters, it’s Hobson’s choice once again.