SLFP continues on progressive path

When former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike established the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1951, he desired it to be a truly people's party. This aim was substantially achieved in 1956 when the SLFP - led Mahajana Eksath Peramuna swept to a crushing victory in the General Election, now looked upon as a seminal event in the post-independence political history of Sri Lanka.

The most significant aspect of the MEP's 1956 electoral triumph was that the less privileged strata of Lankan society were enabled to have a voice in the governance of the country from then on.

Until then, the reins of power were essentially in the hands of a Westernized elite which was far removed from the culture and socio-economic realities of Sri Lanka.

The SLFP victory at the polls helped change this status quo. The ordinary people were finally shaping local political history.

The unanimous election of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the position of SLFP leader on Thursday, is a continuation of this democratization process of the Lankan polity.

The leadership of the SLFP has changed hands on the basis of a unanimous, collective decision of the party and a "man of the masses" has assumed leadership of the party which enjoys the reputation of being a vehicle of the people's aspirations.

In fact, the SLFP has a better chance of realising the people's aspirations because the party leader and the Executive President of the country are one.

If the SLFP was seen to be controlled by a leading family all these years, this identity of the party would now change because a man who is popularly characterized as a "People's President" is the leader of the SLFP as well. Among other things, this is proof that internal democracy is prevailing in the SLFP.

This is something the country should be happy about. Rather than be controlled by a few persons or a family the party is proving that it is open to a democratization process which would ensure the upward mobility within the party of efficient SLFPers.

A parallel process occurred within the UNP when the mantle of party leader fell on party top-rungers following the demise of Dudley Senanayake. The UNP's identity as a party dominated by the Senanayakes thus came to an end.

This is as it should be because the democratization of the Lankan polity has to occur at all conceivable levels. This is democracy in the real sense of the word.

Nevertheless, President Rajapaksa has pledged to give up the leadership of the SLFP when he leaves the Presidency. There is no question of the President exercising draconian control over the party. Besides, the President is on record that any efficient SLFPer could rise to prime positions in the party.

As the President himself points out, his election to the top-most position of the SLFP amounts to a second popular mandate being granted him to defeat terrorism and establish peace and prosperity in the country.

We call on the President to go about these tasks with renewed zeal on account of the close bearing they have on the country's future.

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