Commentary: Personality politics matters more than party loyalty in Sri Lankan general elections

SINGAPORE: The government of incumbent Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has secured a “super-majority” in the country’s parliamentary elections.

A man hangs newspapers carrying headlines about the victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka People's Front party in the country's parliamentary election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte The government’s mandate that it has been receptive to voters’ concerns and intends to incorporate their views when it proposes bills in parliament is at an all-time high.Second, while the key themes of national security and economic development this elections were similar to that of 2019, the government’s response to COVID-19 has broadly been deemed as a success.

Third, the government was strategic in forming a loose coalition with its main mother party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party . This internal turmoil worked in the favour of the government who may have received some of their key votes while also discouraging some of the loyal UNP supporters from turning up to vote at all.This election exemplified how personalities mattered more than party loyalty and affiliation.

Despite the controversies which led to his ouster during the 2015 presidential elections, he made an immediate comeback to parliament in the same year during the general elections proving that he continued to have a loyal supporter base.All of these indicate that the public is likely to render its support to whichever party he contests from.

With his party receiving the second highest number of votes these elections, it appears both the political members and the public have given him the benefit of the doubt despite being a relatively young contender at53 years old.

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