Daily News Editorial

A new SLFP in the making?

Monday 02nd November 2015

State Minister for Highways and SLFP media spokesman Dilan Perera has called for the UPFA of which the SLFP is the key component to be 'fine tuned' so that it rids itself of the communal element that has taken firm root in the Alliance. Speaking to an English Daily Perera said they cannot allow the Alliance to be governed by the principles of one party. Various parties have got various principles. But the Alliance was formed on the basis of non communal politics. Non racist principles.

Following on this President Maithripala Sirisena too spoke of the need for recasting the SLFP in a new mould. Speaking at a party gathering in Kaduwela the President said the SLFP cannot be the same party it was in 1956, 1970, 1994, 2005 or 2010, implying that the whole socio-politico landscape has changed drastically from the days that the SLFP came to be known as a hardline Sinhala Buddhist party. True, there was a time when the Sinhala Buddhists had lost their identity and was sidelined in all respects, including in the country's administrative set up where pride of place was given to the English educated. There was also a time when the country's wealth was being exploited by multinational companies who had taken over vast swathes of land belonging to the peasants. There was indeed a need for the emergence of a political party with a nationalist outlook to deliver the locals from exploitation and being marginalized.

The SLFP broke into the scene to fill the void. Sinhala was enthroned to its rightful place and all multinational companies were nationalized. The hitherto dormant local arts and culture underwent a renaissance and the Swabasha educated sons and daughters received pride of place in all spheres of activity.

Unfortunately the baby was thrown with the bath water. Strict implementation of the language policy saw a mass exodus of not just the Tamils, and Burghers to western countries but also the English educated Sinhala professionals such as doctors and engineers (The brain drain that started in 1956 as a trickle became a deluge after 1983). On the other hand the emphasis on Sinhala only closed the door to a vast trove of knowledge that could only come from a knowledge of English. It also spawned a class difference in society that was also responsible for the first armed rebellion against the state in the post Independence era.

President Kumaratunga was seized of the damage done and with her cosmopolitan bent attempted to redress the balance, even going to the extent of apologizing to the country for the mistake made by her father's Sinhala only policy. The Party was gradually made to shed its communal image with even a known LTTE sympathizer made Chairman of the country's national television broadcaster. For the first time an SLFP politician was voted to power with the overwhelming support of the minorities when CBK romped home by a 62% vote at the 1994 Presidential election. It appeared that the party had divested itself of its communal garb with key appointments in the state sector given to Tamils including the appointment of the country's first Tamil Foreign Minister. But the most significant gesture by CBK that convinced the Tamil community that she was genuine in her pro minority stance came with her decision to share Tsunami funds with the LTTE, the organization which made an attempt on her life and disabling her. But all this was reversed with the election of MR as President when the SLFP went back to once again beating its strident communal drum with energy supplied by the likes of Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila et al that saw the restoration of the status quo.

Both President Sirisena and Dilan Perera are well aware that under the PR system the minority vote has once again become a decisive factor and if the party has any prospects of capturing power some day it will need the support of the minorities. Thus, they have taken it upon themselves to do another Chandrika to lift the fortunes of the party. They are no doubt aware that in this era of the Global Village and the happenings in the world starkly brought to the homes of the ordinary folk, old shibboleths and communal slogans have no place with the new generation of voters, as was proved on January 8.

As the dominant party they no doubt would want the SLFP to assert itself within the Alliance. Hence the views expressed by Perera of the need to make the UPFA partners fall in line by ridding the Alliance of communal politics. But so long as elements such as Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammnapila remain in the Alliance this will be a tough task, given their propensity at whipping up communal passions. There is talk that the SLFP is planning to terminate its links with the PHU, NFF, DLF and the MEP. As Perera says, the UPFA was formed to function as a non communal Alliance. The President complementing this says the SLFP the dominant partner in the Alliance should reinvent itself. Is the country going to see a whole new SLFP in the making?