“How Should Sri Lanka Marginalise Ethnic Parties?” by Ameer Ali

Different ethnic members in the national party must also find accommodation in the cabinet. Such practices are not new to Sri Lankan politics. In fact, they were adopted under the Westminster model in the 1950s to 1970s. With the Gaullist model however, ethnic parties are having a field day. Religious leaders of the country, particularly the Mahanayakas, should bring pressure on the national parties to avoid pre-election pacts with parties like SLMC. Even if ethnic party candidates succeed in the election and enter the parliament let them sit in the opposition and warm up the seats. Their supporters will soon come to realise the futility of electing them and will switch their allegiance automatically to one of the major parties. An enlightened national party can make the ethnic parties redundant. That will be a healthy outcome to a plural democracy.

see: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/how-should-sri-lanka-marginalise-ethnic-parties/

“Sri Lanka stunned? Sri Lanka’s 2015 presidential poll and [un]warranted exclamations” by Dr. Chaminda Weerawardhana

If opposition leaders are to live up to the hopes ignited by the Sirisena presidency, it is now crucial to prioritise a mode of governance marked by the new President’s stamp. The worst-case scenario is indeed a government in which President Sirisena will be relegated to passively adopting a Wickremesinghe or Bandaranaike agenda.

Via http://groundviews.org/…/sri-lanka-stunned-sri-lankas-2015…/