We previously revealed the candidates for Colombo, predicting that ex-defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be the candidate of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna of the joint opposition. However, he has rejected the offer, and the SLPP’s final choice is former mayor and municipal commissioner Omar Kamil.
He was the deputy mayor of Colombo in 1997 and became the mayor in 1999. From 2006 he was the municipal commissioner. The SLPP has chosen the best candidate, it is said in political circles. Now, the UNP that rules Colombo municipality and the SLFP are both in crisis, unable to find a candidate capable of facing Kamil.
Muslims being the majority in the city, a Muslim candidate is a must to face Kamil, who is capable of attracting a sizeable portion of Sinhalese votes too.
UNP leadership undecided
The UNP hopes to field Rosie Senanayake, but a majority of party activists say she cannot gain even the Sinhalese votes. She contests as a defeated candidate, after losing out at the last general election. Also, her religious beliefs will be a disadvantage for the UNP and will cause Buddhist votes to divide. There is also talk of fielding A.J.M. Muzammil, who is presently on a diplomatic posting. However, he is yet to agree to it. The majority opinion in the UNP is that he too, cannot defeat Kamil.
Party supporters want Borella organizer Ajith Pathirana be made the mayoral candidate. Leaving alone challenging Kamil, he will at least be able to protect the party’s Sinhalese vote base, they say, noting that he even can influence Muslim votes. However, the UNP leadership is yet to agree to that. Supporters say that if the UNP loses its bastion at a time when a party-led regime runs the country, it will be a severe setback for the party. The defeat is certain if the party cannot understand the mentality of the Muslims, they say.
SLFP too, to field a *Muslim
There was talk that the SLFP will field Ferial Ashroff, but now their choice is Asath Salley, former deputy mayor. But, he is yet to agree to it, maybe because he knows he cannot challenge Kamil. The SLFP leadership is also considering Deepa Edirisinghe of the Edirisinghe family. But, she is having a limited chance of making it, leaving alone posing a challenge to Kamil.
The JO has well understood the need that winning Muslim votes will win the CMC. Without Muslim mayoral candidates, the UNP and the SLFP will have to field several Muslim candidates and launch a strong propaganda campaign.
Muslim factor in Colombo city
The Colombo Muslims are strongly against the Rajapaksas after what they had undergone during the previous regime. The Rajapaksas know that and their intention is to field a strong Muslim candidate. Then, Muslim voters will forget the past and rally round that candidate. The UNP and the SLFP failed to understand that and are now in crisis over their candidates. Supporters say the UNP is yet to understand that and overestimates its strength in Colombo. The party should understand that it no longer can win by fielding a puppet for Colombo. However, Kamil is yet to agree to contest. He was appointed the mayor on the UNP ticket and was made the municipal commissioner by the former president. His decision will be crucial to who will gain power in Colombo.
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