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The Ethno-Political Polarization Scenario in Sri Lanka's Presidential Election Held in November 2019: a Critical View

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The Ethno-Political Polarization Scenario in Sri Lanka's Presidential Election Held in November 2019: a Critical View International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume IV, Issue I, January 2020|ISSN 2454-6186 The Ethno-political Polarization Scenario in Sri Lanka's Presidential Election held in November 2019: A Critical View Dr. T. Krishnamohan Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Department of Social Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka Abstract: Under the nineteenth amendment to the constitution of as a constitutional matter. The Local Government Elections, Sri Lanka, the president himself cannot dissolve the parliament held in 2018, were an opportunity for all political parties to until the completion of four and a half years. Under these test their strength in the political arena. A similar experiment circumstances, the president may look to strengthen his powers. was held in November 16, 2019 in the presidential election. In Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out that the nineteenth amendment fact, the political parties have designed the strategy for their of the constitution, which the Sri Lankan parliament passed just after he lost his presidency in 2015, has reduced the powers of political game in the presidential election targeting the the president's office. The nineteenth amendment of the parliamentary election that would be held in 2020. It can be constitution strengthened the prime minister’s role, re- said that only the party that is going to form the government established a two-term limit on the presidency, and reinforced with an absolute majority (2/3rd) in the year 2020 independent commissions like on human rights, police, the parliamentary elections could fulfill the promises made to the judiciary, and civil services. Regarding the nineteenth people in the presidential election. Therefore, this research amendment of the constitution, two different types of opinions article is focused on examining the following crucial were formulated. Many people welcomed the end of the all- problems: powerful executive presidency. Some of the others have criticized that the nineteenth amendment of the constitution, by 1. Does the country head for another crisis far worse dividing executive powers between the president and prime than previous crises? minister, produced an ineffective and confused government. But 2. Is it the lack of knowledge of the constitution among Mahinda Rajapaksa’s opinion hinted strongly that the SLPP members of the parliament which is deliberately used would push for the parliament to revoke the amendment and re- to cause crises? concentrate powers in the presidency. If a strong presidential system is re-established that it would come at the sacrifice of the 3. Does the nineteenth amendment reflect the fortune of independence that the judiciary and police have enjoyed since Sri Lanka? 2015. A last-minute agreement between the SLFP and the SLPP 4. What‟s the public opinion on the nineteenth saved them from the political destruction. The result of the amendment post presidential election? presidential election underlined the beginning of the SLPP as the 5. What, in the future, necessary strategies should be most powerful political party in the country at the sacrifice of the developed to ensure maximum security to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Both the SLFP and the UNP minorities? tolerated weakening setbacks with their leadership in panic. The SLPP will further strengthen its position at the forthcoming This research was done qualitatively and involved analysis of parliamentary polls. the content of the events. The content analysis generally Key words: Nineteenth Amendment, Presidential Election, Sri involves closely examining the text of documents and the Lanka Podujana Peramuna, National Democratic Front, words of politicians, diplomats, and political analysts. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa data collected regarding the criticisms of the constitution of Sri Lanka on websites, political leaders' speech, historical I. INTRODUCTION evidence, and research books have been used to write this ccording to the nineteenth amendment to the constitution research article. Basically, this research paper consists of two A enacted in 2015, which trims the powers of the parts. The first part of the research paper will analyze the presidency, the prime minister couldn‟t be removed without a presidential election results, Gotabaya Rajapaksa's decisive referendum. In terms of the nineteenth amendment, the prime victory and the post-election consequences. The second part minister has to resign or continue to serve in that position as of the research paper will analyze the president‟s power and long as the cabinet continues. Even if the president was functions according to the 1978 Constitution, even after the elected by the people, according to the nineteenth amendment nineteenth amendment. to the constitution, the president‟s power is curtailed. Therefore, until the presidential system is amended another way constitutionally, the presidential election must be viewed www.rsisinternational.org Page 140 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume IV, Issue I, January 2020|ISSN 2454-6186 II. THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN THE Sinhala-Buddhist Nationalist party. Even though the SLPP NINETEENTH AMENDMENT lacked parliamentary representation, those elected on the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the national- This presidential election was held on 16 November 2019 and list members served as the SLPP members in the parliament. contested by thirty-five candidates. It was recorded as a historical event in the presidential election in Sri Lanka Sajith Premadasa contested on behalf of the New Democratic (Sunday observer: 2019.10.13). Two of the thirty-five Front (NDF), the third occasion a United National Party presidential candidates were very powerful contestants. One (UNP) led coalition fielded a candidate from the New was Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who concluded the civil war in Democratic Front. General Sarath Fonseka and Maithripala 2009, and another was Sajith Premadasa, who is the son of the Sirisena contested in the 2010 and 2015 presidential elections, assassinated ex-president Ranasinghe Premadasa, who fell respectively, under the „swan‟ symbol (Daily mirror, victim to a Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide 2015.07.01). The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna contested the bomber in May 1993 and was a minister in the Ranil presidential election for the first time in October 1982, during Wickremesinghe‟s government. Similarly, two of the thirty- which its founding leader Rohana Wijeweera was its five presidential candidates were retired army officers. One candidate. In 2019, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) leader was General Mahesh Senanayake, who retired in 2019, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake contested on the National another was Lieutenant Colonel Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who People's Power (NPP) ticket (Sunil W.A, 2019.09.05)but he retired in June 1990. Gotabaya Rajapaksa contested on behalf couldn‟t even save his deposit. of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which is Table: 01 Presidential Election 2019-All Island Results Votes Name of the Candidate Parties % Received Gotabaya Rajapaksa Sri Lanka PodujanaPeramuna(SLPP) 6,924,255 52.25 Sajith Premadasa National Democratic Front (NDF) 5,564,239 41.99 Aunra Kumara Dissanayaka National Movement of People's Power (NMPP) 418,553 3.16 Mahesh Senanayake National Peoples‟ Party (NPP) 49,655 0.37 Total Valid Votes 13,252,499 82.87 Rejected Votes 135,452 0.85 Total Polled 13,387,951 83.72 Registered No. of Electors 15.992,096 Source:https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/presidential-elections/PRE_2019_All_Island_Result.pdf Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained a major victory in the time, Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted that “I am grateful for the Presidential election. Accordingly, SLPP‟s candidate opportunity to be the president, not only of those who voted Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as the new President of the for me but as the president of all Sri Lankans. The trust you Republic of Sri Lanka. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa secured have invested in me is deeply moving and being your 6,924,255 votes (52.25%), NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa president will be the greatest honor of my life” (Gotabaya secured 5,564,239 votes (41.99%.) and NPP candidate Anura Rajapaksa,‏ 2019.11.17). Kumara Dissanayake secured a distant third place, managing III. GOTABAYA‟S DECISIVE VICTORY to secure 418,553 votes (3.16%) (Presidential Elections Results – 2019).Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the first to be elected Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential election victory was for a five-year term under the nineteenth amendment to the determined by the following factors, such as security, ethno- constitution. The former president Maithripala Sirisena nationalism, economic straits, government‟s infighting, and received a six-year term and reduced it to five years by way of SLPP‟s political organizational strength. The election was the nineteenth amendment of the constitution. The conducted seven months after the Easter Sunday attack on the Presidential election had a turnout of more than 80%, which is 21st of April 2019. The self-radicalized Islamist extremists the largest turnout in Sri Lanka‟s election history (Presidential carried out the suicide attacks at five-star hotels in the heart of Elections Results – 2019). Although there were incidents the Colombo, and three churches in Colombo, Negombo and including a shooting attack on buses carrying Muslim voters Batticaloa, and killed more than 250 Christians including in the North-East without
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