Parliamentary elections are set to hold in Sri Lanka on 5 August 2020. The elections were originally scheduled to hold in April but were postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Issues to Consider for Sri Lanka
The postponement of the elections and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s extension of his hold on power is triggering a constitutional crisis.
Gotabaya came into power in 2019 through a campaign that hinged on the back of the deadly bombing at a church in Sri Lanka. However, he has not been the breath of fresh air Sri Lankans thought he would be.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved Parliament in March in preparation for the April polls. But, despite the postponement of the elections, Gotabaya did not reconvene parliament. By June, Sri-Lanka had exceeded the three-month period allowed by law for the country to run without parliament. In this time, Gotabaya created a task force to use as weapons against his political enemies and dispossess Muslims and Hindus in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province of their lands. This and other anti-democratic policies being birthed by the Gotabaya administration is causing friction between him and civil society members.
Does Gotabaya Stand a Chance in Sri Lanka?
The question is not whether Gotabaya’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party will win, but whether it will secure two-thirds of the 225 parliamentary seats. The SLPP has been instrumental in establishing the political dynasty of the Rajapaksa family since its relaunch in 2016 when the Rajapaksa brothers formed new alliances. If they win in the coming elections, which is highly likely, Gotabaya’s policies including his Buddhist nationalist agenda will be cemented.
Voting in the Time of COVID-19
The Sri Lankan government has issued health guidelines for the conduct of polls and for campaigning activities, limiting campaign rallies to only 300 people. With an average voter turnout of 75.26%, over 16 million voters are eligible to vote to elect 225 members of parliament.
In mid-July, Sri Lankan authorities ran a simulated election in four districts to ensure the coronavirus-safe protocol can be administered.
