1988 Premadasa – Wijeweera – Vijaya
2024 Sajith -Anura
The political animosity between Mr. JR Jayawardena and Mrs. Bandaranaike surpassed any other rivalry among opposing party leaders. During the 1970-1977 Samagi Peramuna government, Prime Minister Mrs. Bandaranaike went as far as arresting JR’s sole son without any formal charges during the 1971 insurrection. Furthermore, she attempted to detain JR himself on foreign exchange allegations while he was en route to Australia with his spouse. JR, bearing these actions in mind, took retaliatory measures upon assuming the presidency. He pursued legal action against Mrs. Bandaranaike, resulting in the imposition of a land charge, and ultimately, the revocation of her citizenship rights.
Both individuals belong to the upper echelons of the political elite. Mrs. Bandaranaike is an aristocrat, while JR hails from the esteemed Kurunduwatte family in Colombo. The longstanding animosity between these two figures was finally resolved in 1988. This resolution coincided with the emergence of Ranasinghe Premadasa, a candidate from a non-elite background, who began to exhibit strong indications of securing victory in the impending presidential election, despite initial predictions suggesting otherwise.
As the 1988 presidential election loomed, JR and Anura engaged in negotiations aimed at establishing a caretaker government. The SLFP reluctantly entered into these discussions following threats from the JVP directed at Mrs. Bandaranayake’s gatherings. Initially, it took some time for the SLFP to recognize the potential harm the JVP’s terror could inflict on their voter base, surpassing even the threat posed by Premadasa’s UNP supporters. It was only later that the SLFP grasped the extent of the damage inflicted upon their voter base. Despite the JVP’s campaign of terror preventing Premadasa from holding meetings, their efforts failed to disrupt the UNP’s support among plantation workers and Eastern Muslim voters. The objective of JR and Anura’s negotiations was to establish a caretaker government and foster a conducive environment for conducting the presidential election.
The underlying motive behind these discussions was indeed to thwart Premadasa’s presidential ambitions. Frustrated by these negotiations, Premadasa was overcome with dismay. Following a meeting in Borella, he proceeded to JR’s residence on Ward Place, where he voiced his intention to withdraw from the presidential race. This declaration came at a time when the party’s support was firmly behind Premadasa. JR, apprehensive of the consequences, abruptly halted the negotiations.
At that time, JR and Mr. Anura and Bandaranaike had two goals. The first goal is to prevent Premadasa from becoming president. The second goal is to achieve an all-party consensus to suppress the JVP.
Like Premadasa, Wijeweera is also an elite leader. Sri Lanka’s elite political class did not tolerate Premadasa’s victory or Wijeweera’s capture of the country.
That was in 1988. Exactly 36 years later, two non-elite political leaders have joined the presidential battle ahead of a presidential election. One is Ranasinghe Premadasa’s son Sajith Premadasa. The other is JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who came from school in Tambuttegama village. The elite class will not tolerate either of these two becoming president.
With the presidential election just around the corner, a proposal to abolish the executive presidency is brought to prevent the president’s chair from going to Sajith or Anura.
This elite mentality is wonderful. When the results of the 1988 presidential election were released, Mrs. Bandaranaike, who came to the election commissioner’s office, announced that the results should be suspended and kicked a chair in the commissioner’s office. JR mentioned in his biography that the lady could not bear to be defeated by Premadasa.
When Premadasa won and offered three ministers to JVP and talked about forming a coalition government, the elite class came into action once again. The two most powerful ministers in Premadasa’s government, JR appointed party secretary State Security Minister Ranjan Wijeratne and JR’s nephew Ranil Wickramasinghe joined forces and pushed Premadasa to the point of suppressing JVP, Mrs. Bandaranaike came to Premadasa’s all-party conference and justified the suppression of JVP.
After 1983, three elite leaders emerged in Sri Lankan politics. They are Ranasinghe Premadasa, Rohana Wijeweera and Vijaya Kumarathunga. These three elite leaders were a big headache for the elite class. They strategically pulled chain pawns. The three elite leaders started the battle to kill each other.
JR arrested Vijaya . Wijeweera’s party was banned and Wijeweera was locked in the forest. Mrs.B and Anura Bandaranayaka attacked Premadasa and the family the most. MrsB. Expelled Anura and Vijaya from the party. In 1971, Mrs.B imprisoned Wijeweera. In 1988, rejected the terms of the alliance with JVP.
But neither Premadasa, Wijeweera nor Vijaya understood that the threat to them was from the elite class. They saw their class leaders as their enemies. The elite wanted that too. Wijeweera saw Vijaya as an enemy. Vijaya saw Wijayweera as an enemy. Vijaya was killed by Wijeweera. Vijayweera was killed by Premadasa. Finally, U.N.P. the elite class and Mrs. Bandaranaike united and brought an impeachment against Premadasa and Premadasa was killed.
It was Prabhakaran who was a leader of an elite class in the north who killed Premadasa. Like Premadasa, Vijaya and Wijeweera, Prabhakaranda was an elite leader who rebelled against the elite class in the north. These four people are four people who do not represent the standard caste.
The same event in history is happening today differently. The battle between two elite leaders is watched in terror by the elite class. Proposals to Abolish Executive Presidency Eliminate Presidential Elections Elite Class Conspiracy.
Like Premadasa, Wijeweera and Vijaya, Sajith and Anura did not know who their true enemy was. Sajith thinks that his enemy is Anura. Anura thinks that his enemy is Sajith. But the enemy of both of them is the elite class.
But just as the JVP terror of 1988 left the elite class speechless, the struggle of 2022 has raised the elite class by its two legs and knocked it to the ground. A non-elitist president came in 1988 when the elite class was weakened. This time, a non-elite president should come even when the elite class is standing on its head.