(Lanka-e-News -16.Sep.2024, 11.00 pm) A group of minority political analysts is challenging prominent leaders such as Rauf Hakim, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, M. A. Sumanthiran, Rasamanikkam Shanakian, and Rishad Bathiudeen to prove their popularity by standing for the upcoming general election. They argue that instead of securing seats through the national list, these leaders, who claim to represent minority communities, should demonstrate their true public support by contesting elections directly.
The analysts suggest that these leaders, who have aligned themselves with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and its leader Sajith Premadasa, should not rely on the national list as a way into parliament, which they see as a "back door" approach. They contend that if these politicians are as popular as they claim, they should be able to secure a mandate from the public through direct voting.
The group also criticizes these politicians for supporting a leader like Sajith, whom they describe as right-wing and Sinhala chauvinistic, and accuse him of frequently shifting his policies regarding minority rights without delivering tangible benefits. According to the analysts, these leaders are prioritizing their political survival over the real issues facing minority communities.
Many minority voters, they argue, are now rallying behind Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People’s Power (NPP) party, which they believe offers a more consistent stance on minority rights. In contrast, the analysts accuse Rauf Hakim, Sumanthiran, Bathiudeen, and Rasamanikkam of hiding behind Sajith Premadasa to secure parliamentary seats through the national list, rather than earning them through public support.
The analysts conclude that if these leaders choose not to contest the election directly, it would reveal their lack of genuine popularity among the minority communities they claim to represent, suggesting they are more focused on maintaining their positions in parliament through alternative methods.
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by (2024-09-16 18:54:41)
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