Sri Lanka Gets Ready for a Presidential Election

Jehan Perera is the Executive Director of the National Peace Council, a nongovernmental organization based in Colombo.

A presidential election is expected in November or December. How do you see the race? Who will be the candidate for the United National Party (UNP)?

The past four years of governance has seen a welcome respite from a culture of fear and human rights violations, and space has opened for political and social activism. However, the sense that the government is unable to act cohesively in the interests of the country has created an impression that it is a failure. In this context, there is a strong desire in society in general for a cohesive government that is led by a decisive leadership. The UNP is at a severe handicap on this score.

There is a tussle to be the UNP candidate. There are three names in the Prime Minister and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Housing Minister and deputy UNP leader Sajith Premadasa, and Speaker of parliament Karu Jayasuriya. Sajith Premadasa is the most popular with the electorate. But Ranil Wickremesinghe feels he has a good chance of winning as he has the support of the leaders of ethnic minority and other political parties in the UNP-led alliance. Karu Jayasuriya can emerge as the compromise candidate.