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Heavyweights and others who have opted out: Some bowing out of politics
View(s):By Chandani Kirinde
More than 50 MPs from the ninth parliament including three former presidents, several cabinet ministers and MPs will not be contesting in the November 14 general election, some retiring from politicis while others are taking a hiatus.
Of these over 40 are from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which won 145 seats in the 225 legislature in the 2020 parliamentary election while others are from the SJB and several smaller parties.
The SLPP heavyweights who have opted out of the electoral contest include former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chamal Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa . It’s the first time in close to eight decades that a Rajapaksa will not be on the ballot appear in the Hambantota District.
Namal Rajapaksa will not contest but will seek to get a seat from the National List (NL) of the SLPP. In the September presidential election, Namal Rajapaksa who contested under the SLPP ticket obtained less than 3% of the votes. It’s likely the party will qualify for a single NL seat if it holds onto the 342,781 votes it won in the September election.
The only exception will be Shasheendra Rajapaksa who will contest from the SLPP from the Monaragala District.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena too will not contest this time. Instead his son Daham Sirisena will contest from the Sarvajana Balaya led by entrepreneur Dilith jayaweera.
Some of the prominent politicians missing from the Colombo District ballot paper this year include former president Ranil Wickremesinghe. He was the last of the MPs to enter parliament for the first time in 1977 and to have been in the 2020 parliament as well. Former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who first entered parliament in 1983 having won the Maharagama by-election, will also not contest this election but his name is included in the National List of the Democratic National Front (DNF) while Gamini Lokuge who also first entered parliament having won the Kesbewa by-election the same year has his name included in the SLPP national list.
Others who have opted not to contest from the Colombo district are former MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Champika Ranawaka, Bandula Gunawardena, and Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha.
In the Gampaha District too several prominent politicians are not contesting. These include Prasanna Ranatunga, Nalaka Godahewa and Sisira Jayakody.
Cabinet ministers and state ministers who have opted out of contesting include Ali Sabry, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Wijedasa Rajapaksha, Shehan Semasinghe, Kanaka Herath Lohan Ratwatte, Sisira Jayakody and Wimalaweera Dissanayake
Former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will not be seeking re-election but his name has been included in the National List of the NDF. It is also a curtain call for long-time leftist politician Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who announced his retirement from politics.
Several of the MPs who will retire from politics include those first elected to Parliament in the 1989 general elections including Bandula Gunawardena, Lakshman Kiriella, John Seneviratne, S.B.Dissanayake and Maithripala Sirisena. SJB’s Ranjith Maddumabandara who was also first elected to parliament in 1989 will not contest this year but his name has been included in the Party’s National List. Nimal Siripala de Silva who also first became an MP in 1989 from the Colombo district will contest from the NDF from the Badulla district.
Former army commander Sarath Fonseka too will not contest the election while Vajira Abeywardena who entered parliament as the UNPs National List MP will also not contest.
Jaffna district MP C.V.Vigneswaran too announced he is retiring from politics and will not contest.
Around 35 SLPP MPs will contest the November 14 elections from the New Democratic Front (NDF) under the gas cylinder symbol while some will contest from the SLPP.
A few SLPP candidates who have joined the SJB as well as the Sarvajana Balaya will contest with these parties.
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