The biggest electorate in Sri Lanka is actually unelected. The National List seats 29 MPs, 10 more than the Colombo District. If you break it down by Provinces, the National List would be the second biggest Province in Sri Lanka, less than the Western Province (47 seats) but more than the Southern (25 each).
That’s why President (and party Chairman) Sirisena is sacking party officials on election eve. He needs control of the National List. If he has that, then he can resolve the split caused by Mahinda still clamoring for power. Or at least begin that process on stronger footing.
How The National List Works
National List MPs are chosen by the party, which is why President Sirisena (as party Chairman) has sacked the General Secretaries of the UPFA and SLFP. Because those are the guys who would select MPs from the National List. If Sirisena controls the party, he controls the National List.
Now, the nominees to the National List have already been announced. They are:
| UNP | UPFA |
|---|---|
|
|
The nominees are set, but who actually becomes an MP is determined by the party after the election (I think they have a week). So deciding who sits is actually very important, especially in an election like this, where neither side is likely to get an outright majority out of the 196 seats that are voted on.
What happens is that the parties get a proportional slice of the National List seats. If the SLFP wins 70 seats at the ballot, they get 10 seats on the National List. Not insubstantial at all. If Maithripala can control who is seated, it’s like winning an extra Colombo district away from Mahinda loyalists. I think he would also choose better candidates than Mahinda, who used the National List to bring in criminals and thugs like Mervyn Silva.
It’s a canny and smart move by Sirisena to take control of the party right now, though it will definitely go to court. I’m not familiar with the UPFA Constitution, but I think Maithripala may be within his rights as Chairman. If it holds up, this procedural play may have as much effect on the 15th Parliament as 1 million votes.
Jesus Indi tell me one citizen who voted for UPFA that would want Sirisena to hijack the national list to offer the premiership to Ranil on a platter. Yes there are people who praise Sirisena but they all are stringent UNP’ers who love Sirisena because deep down they know that Sirisena is Ranil’s boy. Where are you trying to take this country? Next Libya? For what?
As I predicted earlier the next SLAP of Sirisena will be to the citizen of this country.
What a ridiculous comment Nish.
Indi, is the national list fixed? When Basil Rajapakse brought into the parliament using the National list during MR’s fisrt term, he wasn’t originally on it, was he? So does this mean the members appointed through the national list can be changed. If so when and how can it be changed. Know any details?
@Ankie
Please explain what is ridiculous. I’m sure you won’t mind if Ranil is been appointed PM through a constitutional loop hole by Sirisena even if he is rejected by the people. I have the right to make that assumption because you seem to be overjoyed by Sirisena sacking central committee members even without it meeting.
@Andy
A national list mp has to resign for that.
What nish said.
What do you call a leader who fires most of the senior members just becaue when the majority of the party doesn’t have the same view as he does? From a candidate who boasts good governance and up holding democracy its not very democratic. On the flip side if a certain other candidate did the same thing imagine the noise it would create. A
Everyone who praises this move does not (obviously) have the best interest of the party or democracy.
I wouldn’t expect less from Mayithree who is more or less corrupt, power hungry than the average politician.
But what he exposed was hypocrisy of JVP (Anura Kumara in particular), the so called civil society and ever loving NGO personalities. Look at the pathetic attempts of them trying to justify one man overruling all of a party where he wasn’t welcomed in the first. This man promised to abolish the executive presidency for gods sake. What is he still doing manipulating political parties? Did even Premadasa do this?
I’m glad, I was thinking of voting for JVP for once. I’m glad I didn’t. This proved that they are as much undemocratic and corrupt as any other if it suit their stinking political agendas.
Ayyo Indi, this man sacked Susil Premajayantha and brought in Duminda Dissanayake for the place. Does Susil look like a thug and Duminda a professor in Economics to you?
Yes it was pathetic of Mahinda to protect a thug like Mervin but it was CBK (another good governance activist now) who brought Mervin from the national list and the good governance president appointed him to the central committee of the party which Mahinda didn’t.
Not a nice way to go about it. But at least opponents were not dragged kicking and screaming to jail. This business should have been over and done with a while ago.
Amusing to hear the squeals now that the boot is on the other foot.
@ Ankie … You are right :) I voted for UNP … I like to talk to you
I agree with nish on this. Sirisena is a double-faced buffoon trying to abuse and manipulate people to please Ranil. Shame on him for asking people in Polonnaruwa to vote for the UNP after being the leader of the UPFA.. what a joker! He has betrayed many loyal UPFA members after sacking the central committee, which is not surprising actually. Can’t expect any better from a third class person like him.
My3 is a damn joker who doesnt have guts to ask people to vote for his own party. He’s so scared of Ranil and the US and Norweigian govts that he betrayed the party he was in for his entire political career! we cant expect anymore from him anyway! yesterday he betrayed his party when he crossed over in secret, and then he betrayed his nation by dancing to the tunes of the western world and india. He and ranil, that joker who signed over our country to the LTTE in 2002, will only be happy when they make our country into a pariah nation like afghanistan! its not those two jokers who should be shot, it is the jokers who voted for a so called change who should be shot! what is the change that took place in the last 6 months? colombo once again became a town filled with garbage, army camps were disbanded in the north and the soldiers who fought for this country are now being taken to court for war crimes! i hope the idiots who voted for the change are proud of their patriotism now! tomorrow when the country is divided into pieces for various ethnicities, then the people who voted for a change can pat themselves on their ‘patriotic’ backs!
Am I missing something? MS has now effectively taken control of the SLFP. He will also select the crossover mp’s to make up the majority for the UNP to form a government. So in future RW needs to go get permission from MS to get anything done. MS on the other hand has now got an overall majority to pass any bills (UNP+SLFP). The minority parties are dead in the water. Mahinda is done and out of the picture. I’d say as far as MS is concerned its “thug life”.
ranil want to distroy slfp and upfa – soon – reason he emerge as an dictator soon
Sirisena is a a lowly, cunning, unloyal, double faced thug who try to deceive others as a good person, But anyone with common sense and unbiased mind can now see his real face. He is a disgrace to the country, and the humanity. It is so disgusting to watch.
The MP’s who represent in the parliament should have good vision on the country and future of our children.
Therefore National list should be selected criteria.
My3 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing! His lowly characteristics are becoming more and more apparent now.
Most of you guys commenting here are so full of anger and hatred. Having your own agenda this way or that way. Not willing to see any good in any body. Let me tell you something this is called politics, do you really think someone who can behave like an saint to run the country, specially a country full of people who think like you guys. They wont last one day. Sometimes to do the right thing you have to take some unpopular decisions. For me who ever takes the reigns needs to be some one who will promote fair play and no corruption(less corruption at least). We had a very peaceful election this time around compared to our history. That is a great achievement for all involved. And we are heading in the right direction. Lets just not be very low minded people by calling others names and what not. Let go of the hate please for Sri Lanka’s sake.