After five years, a President with a legitimate mandate..!

(Sujith Mangala De Silva) 

Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has announced that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has been elected as the 7th Executive President of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the new President will be sworn in before the Ruwanmali Maha Seya on Monday (18) ,declared a statement, issued by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained 52.25% or 69,24,255 votes in the Presidential Election held on Saturday (16) and his main rival New Democratic Front Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, obtained 41.99% or 55,64,239 votes. Accordingly, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa polled 1,360,016 more votes than Sajith Premadasa.

Although expected to be a decisive influence in the Presidential Election, the Presidential candidate of National Peoples Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake received only 3.16% of the votes or 418,553 votes, while former Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake obtained only 0.37% or only 49,655 votes.

Other candidates, including candidates for the Northern Tamils and the Muslims of the East, won nearly 2% of the total votes.

Political Analysts, focusing on Gotabaya Rajapaksa's remarkable victory pointed out that his victory is historic for several reasons. They highlighted that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has won the highest number of votes against the main rival in the seven Presidential Elections since 1982 under normal circumstances.

They pointed out that in the 1994 Presidential Election, the Podujana Eksath Peramuna Presidential candidate Chandrika Bandaranaike obtained 1,993,922 more votes than her main rival Ms. Srima Dissanayake (see table above) where the assassination of UNP's Presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake was a major concern.

In particular, the UNP candidate (like Srima Dissanayake and Sarath Fonseka, who did not have experience in politics and did not possess state power), holding the position of Deputy leader, has been active in politics for a long time, use of state resources to build his image (including Gam Udawa), the unlimited benefit of the state power, having the Tamil and Muslim minority votes and the severe bud slinging Gotabaya Rajapaksha had to face, Sajith Premadasa was in high favor. ( in 1994 Chandrika Bandaranayake got the fullest support in North and East, and Mahinda got the same support in 2010).

They consider Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s obtaining over 52% of the votes and more than 13 lacks of votes over the rival candidate, with only the Sinhala, Buddhist and Catholic votes in the South, with the least support of the Tamils and Muslims in the North and East and the Plantation sector, as a political 'miracle'.

Gotabaya’s great victory shows that a President can be appointed only with the majority Sinhalese ( Buddhist and Catholics) without any support from extremist and separatist minorities.

Hence an easy environment has been created to the new President to make independent decisions without surrendering to opportunism, separatism or extremism.

It was only during Mahinda Rajapaksha Government this type of situation prevailed ( 2005-2015) stated a Political Science Professor expressing his views with us.

“ Since Gotabaya Rajapaksha got this victory totally from Sinhala Buddhist, it has the full legitimacy. The power of any Ruler who does not have the consent of the Sinhalese Buddhist majority is not legitimized. This is what we witnessed during the last five years. Thus we can say that economic, social and political stability will be brought about. Accordingly an environment will be created through this for national reconciliation.

The unrest and instability faced by South for the last five years will come a conclusion along with Gotabaya Rajapaksa's victory. It is perfectly a good condition to the country from every aspect "he further stated.

The district level results  in the 7th presidential election are as follows.