There is a similarity between the 1956 General Election and the 2024 General Election. The UNP, which had ruled the country since 1947, was swept away in the 1956 General Election. The UNP also lost the opposition leadership. For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, a new party came to power. Philip Gunawardena, a powerful minister in the new government, said that the final nail was driven into the UNP coffin. The JVP won in 2024, destroying the traditional parties in Sri Lanka. The Bandaranaike government in 1956 was formed with a completely new group of MPs. The Anura government in 2024 was formed with a completely new group of MPs. Sri Lanka Latest News
After the 2024 general election, everyone thought that the traditional parties and traditional politics in Sri Lanka were over. Everyone thought so after the 1956 general election. But everything changed with the mini-election held in December 1956. UNP did not even have a leader. The former leader of the UNP, Dudley, had retired from politics. The leader of the UNP, Sir John, was planning to retire from politics and moved to London.
The 1956 local government election was held when the UNP was on all fours. At that time, JR infused breath into UNP to help it stand on its legs. The bannerman who stood along with JR in this effort was the former Deputy Mayor of Colombo, Ranasinghe Premadasa. The UNP won the Colombo Municipal Council, surprising Bandaranaike’s, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna government, and the people.
J.R. in his book describes that victory as a phoenix rising from the ashes. In the history of Sri Lanka’s local government elections, one that shook the country was the 1956 local government election. Challenging the Bandaranaike government and the traditional left parties that had taken the position of opposition leader, UNP rose again and won the Colombo Municipal Council in the 1956 local government election.
The next mini-election that made the biggest transformation in Sri Lanka’s political history was the 1991 mini-election. The 1991 small election was held at a time when the Premadasa government was suppressing the JVP and demonstrating the strength of the government. The Premadasa government had suppressed the JVP and sent back the Indian army, which was thought to be an endeavour never possible and quelled the opposition. But no one thought that the mini-election would lead to a crisis within the government.
UNP General Secretary Ranjan Wijeratne was assassinated, and Premadasa’s closest aide, Sirisena Cooray was appointed as the general secretary. Three names were proposed for the post of Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council. The first name was M.H. Mohamed’s son Hussein Mohamed. The second was Ganeshalingam. The third was Ratnasiri Rajapaksa, another of Premadasa’s aides. Lalith Athulathmudali, a powerful minister, supported Hussein Mohamed. Hussain was a former mayor and the son of Speaker M.H. Mohamed. Premadasa’s choice was Ratnasiri Rapajaksha. Although Sirisena Cooray had problems with Ratnasiri, he did not oppose Premadasa’s choice. Ratnasiri became the mayor.
Hussein Mohamed expressed his sadness to his father, M.H. Mohamed. Lalith also gave inspiration to Mohamed. The result was an impeachment motion against Premadasa in September 1991. The impeachment motion split UNP. After 17 years, the UNP was defeated. The seeds of defeat were sown because Hussein Mohamed was not made the mayor in the 1991 mini-election. The 1991 LG election ended the 17-year UNP government. The UNP won the entire country in the 1991 LG election.
That was the first election in which Chandrika, who had broken away from the SLFP, and the leftist parties and formed a separate alliance, again joined forces with the SLFP. But the SLFP suffered a crushing defeat. The opposition, believing that none could topple the Premadasa government, consoled themselves after the LG election results. However, they did not realize that the game that would end the Premadasa government began with that small election victory of the Premadasa government. The opposition also did not realize that behind that magnificent victory lay the shadow of defeat.
The 2018 local government election shook the country. During the 2018 mini-election period, the SLFP was split, and the Rajapaksas formed a new party called the Podujana Peramuna. Everyone thought since the SLFP had split into two the UNP would win the small election. There were predictions that the SLFP would come in second place and the Podujana Peramuna would become the third force. But the result left the country in a state of shock. The newly formed Podujana Peramuna won a stunning victory in the LG election. Never in the history of LG elections in Sri Lanka has a government been defeated in an LG election.
The theory of the small elections was that for the government to work, local government institutions should also be given to the government. But for the first time, people used the LG election to show their opposition to the government. The election results showed that the SLFP and the UNP of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil were defeated. This paved the road to Gota the way for the presidency with that small vote.
The 2018 small vote should have been held in 2015. If there had been a small vote in 2015, the UNP would have won. It was the anti-Ranil people who advised Maithripala not to hold the 2015 small vote. If there had been a small vote at that time, even if the SLFP had been defeated, the Rajapaksa politics could have ended. The anti-Ranil people who advised Maithri to prevent that from happening later joined Ranil and advised Ranil not to hold the local government elections.
The JVP’s decision to hold the local government elections as soon as possible is a correct political decision. If Gotabhaya, who became the president in 2019, had held the local government elections on time, there would not have been an ‘aragalaya.’ If there had been a local government election at that time, the SLFP was supposed to win that election. At that time, the Rajapaksa family did not hold a by-election for fear that the small vote would destroy them and the opposition leader Sajith, the UNP, and Ranil would be strengthened.
When the economic crisis emerged, Gota’s government was politically weakened. To face the crisis when it came, it was necessary to get stronger politically before the crisis and hold LG elections to weaken the opposition. JR, Chandrika, and Mahinda all followed this strategy. If there had been a mini-election in early 2022 before the Aragalaya, it would not have been possible to find even a piece of the JVP.
If Ranil had held the 2023 by-election, even if the JVP won a certain number of local government bodies, the JVP would not have been able to defeat the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The advisors around Ranil knew this and advised Ranil to postpone the small election. The JVP took advantage of it.
It was said that the JVP’s decision to hold the small election as soon as possible was correct. However, it is impossible to say whether this small election would be country-changing like 1956, 1991, and 2018.
If no one gets a majority to form a governing body as a result of the LG election, there is a high possibility that this LG election will be the next country-changing election.
