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2015 Sri Lankan presidential election

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7th Sri Lankan presidential election
← 2010 8 January 2015 (2015-01-08)
  File:Crop of Mr Maithripala Sirisena.jpg
Nominee Mahinda Rajapaksa Maithripala Sirisena
Party SLFP NDF
Alliance UPFA
Home state Southern Province North Central Province
President before election

Mahinda Rajapaksa
UPFA

Elected President

TBD

Presidential elections will be held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule.[1][2] The incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate and is seeking a third term in office.[3][4] The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition have chosen to field Maithripala Sirisena, the Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) - the main constituent party of the UPFA - as the common candidate.[5][6]

Background

Protest against Rajapaksa seeking a third term, 18 November 2014

According to the constitution, the normal term of office for a president is six years, although an incumbent may call an election at any time after four years in office.[7] In November 2009, buoyed by the government's defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009, incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa called an early presidential election.[8] In the elections held in January 2010 Rajapaksa secured a second term in office, defeating common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka.[9][10] In February 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that Rajapaksa's second term would begin in November 2010, and was accordingly sworn in on 19 November 2010.[11][12][13]

In September 2010 Parliament, which was controlled by Rajapaksa's UPFA, passed the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, removing the two term limit on presidents, allowing Rajapaksa to run for a third term.[14]

There was speculation in mid-2014 that Rajapaksa would call another early presidential election: on 20 October 2014 Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella confirmed that the election would be held in January 2015.[15][16] Critics of Rajapaksa, including the Bar Association and former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, claimed that he could not stand for re-election as he had won his second term before the eighteenth amendment to the constitution had been passed.[17][18][19] In early November 2014 Rajapaksa sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether he could stand for re-election.[20][21] The court ruled that Rajapaksa could stand for re-election.[22][23] The independence of the Supreme Court has been questioned since the UPFA impeached former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally and legal adviser, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris, as Chief Justice.[24][25][26]

On 20 November 2014 Rajapaksa issued a proclamation calling for a presidential election at which he would seek re-election.[27][28][29] The following day election commissioner Mahinda Desapriya announced that nominations would be taken on 8 December 2014 and that the election would be held on 8 January 2015.[30][31] If Rajapaksa is re-elected, his third term will begin on 19 November 2015; if not, the winning candidate will take office immediately.[citation needed]

15,044,490 Sri Lankans will be eligible to vote at the election.[32][33] Postal voting will take place on 23 and 24 December 2014.[34][35] Foreign monitors are to be invited to observe the election but not from the United Nations.[36]

Electoral system

The Sri Lankan president is elected using a form of instant-runoff voting. Voters can rank up to three candidates, and if no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, second and third preferences from ballots whose first preference candidate has been eliminated are used to determine the winner.[37]

Candidates

Mahinda Rajapaksa

File:CPA Posters on Presidential Elections 2015 20141119 110031 (15206254863).jpg
Rajapaksa election poster

The incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa will contest as the UPFA candidate, seeking an unprecedented third term.[38][39] He has also received the backing of a number of small constituent parties of the UPFA including the Ceylon Workers' Congress,[40] Communist Party,[41] Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP),[42] National Freedom Front,[43] National Union of Workers[44] and the Up-Country People's Front.[45]

However, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) withdrew from UPFA government on 18 November 2014 citing Rajapaksa's refusal to reform the executive presidency and enact reforms to promote accountability.[46][47][48][49]

Maithripala Sirisena

In the run up to the election being called several names had been suggested for nomination as the common opposition candidate: former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya, former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and leader of the National Movement for Social Justice Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero.[50][51] However, on 21 November 2014, after the election had been called, Maithripala Sirisena, was revealed as the common opposition candidate by the UNP.[52][53] Sirisena had been Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the SLFP before defecting to the opposition coalition.[54][55] Sirisena immediately received the support of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and several UPFA MPs that had defected alongside him (Duminda Dissanayake, M. K. D. S. Gunawardena, Wasantha Senanayake, Rajitha Senaratne, Rajiva Wijesinha).[56][57][58] Sirisena and the other UPFA MPs were stripped of their ministerial positions and expelled from the SLFP.[59][60][61] On 30 November minister Navin Dissanayake resigned from the UPFA government and defected to the opposition to support Sirisena.[62][63]

Sirisena has pledged to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days of being elected, repeal the controversial eighteenth amendment, re-instate the seventeenth amendment and appoint UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister.[64][65][66] On 1 December 2014 Sirisena signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 36 opposition parties/civic groups promising to abolish the executive presidency, hold parliamentary elections, form an all-party national government and carry out various political reforms.[67][68] Signatories to the MOU include the UNP, Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party, Democratic People's Front, Azath Salley's Muslim Tamil National Alliance, Free Media Movement, Federation of University Teachers Association as well as dissident groups of the LSSP and Communist Party.[69][70] The following day the JHU announced that it was supporting Sirisena in the presidential election.[71][72]

Sirisena is to contest as the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate under its swan symbol.[73][74] Common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka contested the 2010 presidential election as a NDF candidate under its swan symbol.[75]

Conduct

File:CPA Posters on Presidential Elections 2015 9 (15926770611).jpg
A state-owned SLTB bus with Rajapaksa posters

This election, like past Sri Lankan elections, has been characterised by violence, misuse of state resources and other violations of election laws.

A Buddhist vihara in Borella belonging to JHU MP Athuraliye Rathana Thero was attacked on 20 November 2014, two days after the JHU left the UPFA government.[76][77][78] On the evening of 21 November 2014 UNP member Chamila Ranasinghe was shot at Maggona in Payagala as UNP supporters celebrated the crossover of UPFA MPs to the opposition.[79][80] The houses of two UNP supporters from Madampe, Milton and Sudeh Priyankara, were shot at on the night of 22/23 November 2014.[81][82] The office of UNP MP M. H. A. Haleem in Mawilmada was shot at in the early hours of 25 November 2014.[83][84] A rice truck belonging Sirisena's brother Dudley Sirisena and its crew were attacked in Marandagahamula on 29 November 2014.[85][86] A group of UNP supporters were attacked by UPFA supporters in Gelioya on the night of 30 November 2014.[87] UPFA local councillor Shiron Fernando, who had defected to the opposition to support Sirisena, was attacked at his home in Bolewatte near Wennappuwa.[88]

On 22 November 2014, PEO TV internet protocol television network (IPTV) and Dialog TV satellite television network had reportedly blocked the Sirasa TV from broadcasting the "Satana" program which interviewed the common opposition candidate Sirisena and several other members of opposition.[89]

The election has caused uncertainty over the planned visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka, due to take place from 13 to 15 January 2015.[90] Prior to the election being called the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka had urged all sides not to politicise the papal visit.[91][92] After the election had been called posters appeared showing the Pope blessing Rajapaksa.[93][94][95] The Catholic church has condemned the posters and called for their removal.[96][97]

Government employees have been photographed by The Sunday Times putting up Rajapaksa posters on the Southern Expressway.[98]

References

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