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It hardly feels like election time, say voters as campaign draws to a close
View(s):- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake holds sway at most NPP rallies; other parties hold small-scale meetings
By Sandun Jayawardana
There has been markedly less enthusiasm on the campaign trail compared to the campaign for the recently concluded presidential election. There have hardly been any major public rallies, unlike what was seen two months ago. Some voters have observed that in many areas, it hardly feels like there’s an election at all.
However, most major parties have been holding meetings on a smaller scale throughout the country as they battle to send their representatives to the new Parliament.
More than 17 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at Thursday’s (14) general election. More than 13 million voters cast their ballots at the September 21presidential election. This accounted for just over 79% of eligible voters.
Ready for rainy polls: Ballot boxes get a protective polythene covering at the Colombo District Secretariat. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Compared to other political parties, the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been holding public rallies on a larger scale. President Dissanayake himself officially kicked off the party’s campaign with a public rally in Tangalle on October 19. He will also be in attendance when the party officially winds down its campaign tomorrow.
An NPP spokesperson stated that the party’s two final campaign rallies will be held in Gampaha and Colombo; the two most populous electoral districts with the largest number of registered voters. The two districts will also elect the largest number of MPs to the new Parliament, with Gampaha district due to elect 19 MPs while Colombo district will elect 18. Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya is leading the NPP candidates in Colombo while Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is district leader for Gampaha.
The NPP rally in Gampaha will be held at the Gampaha Municipal Council Grounds while the Colombo rally will take place at the Somaweera Chandrasiri Grounds in Piliyandala. President Dissanayake is due to address both rallies.
Though it came up short at the presidential election, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) of former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has been campaigning hard, claiming that it aims to be the largest party in the next Parliament and form the next government, with Mr. Premadasa as Prime Minister. Many of the party’s former MPs at the last Parliament are also contesting for the election this time. Mr. Premadasa is leading the party’s Colombo district candidates and has been attending meetings throughout the district. He has also been crisscrossing the country in support of the party’s candidates in other districts.
The SJB’s final campaign rally will be held at Aluthkade in Central Colombo tomorrow evening under the leadership of Mr. Premadasa.
All set for elections on Nov. 14: Elections Commission Chairman R.M.A.L.Ratnayake in conversation with Elections Commissioner General Saman Shri Ratanayake on Friday.
The New Democratic Front (NDF) of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe came third at the last presidential election and the party is hoping to improve on its performance at the general election. Many former government MPs who were elected to Parliament on the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ticket at the 2020 general election are now contesting under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol of the NDF.
Party sources said yesterday that the NDF will hold its final public meeting for the Colombo district at Pradeepa Hall in Maligawatte on Monday evening. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will also be in attendance, along with the 21 candidates who are contesting under the NDF in the Colombo district. The Colombo district NDF group is led by former minister Susil Premajayantha and includes former MP Sagala Ratnayaka.
The SLPP has lost many of the prominent faces that carried the party to a landslide election win at the 2020 general election. Many former MPs who represented the SLPP in Parliament have defected to other parties, primarily to the NDF. Some have also joined the SJB and the Sarvajana Balaya of entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera. Others have opted not to contest altogether. Despite these setbacks, the SLPP has continued with its campaign with the former MPs who have chosen to remain with the party, while fielding many new faces.
The SLPP will hold its final campaign meeting tomorrow evening in Tangalle, a party source said yesterday. The meeting will be attended by senior party officials including National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa and SLPP Leader, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
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