By Edward Theophilus

At the time of gaining independence many political parties, which are now operating in the country as separate parties were united except Marxist parties, which were persistent to achieve a just society considering the liberation for proletarians.  The attention of Marxist parties was limited to proletarians or working class except for farmers. However, the unity of political parties ended with the separation of Mr. Bandaranaike, who had the interest to become a leader of the country uniting sanga, weda, guru, govi and camkaru. Some attitudes promoted by Mr. Bandaranaike laid the foundation to disunite people and political parties of the country.  There is no argument that the policies of Mr. Bandaranaike were vital to the country at that time as the wind of freedom was blowing throughout the world against colonialism. Policies of Mr. Bandaranaike were hugely beneficial to the country, especially they opened the leadership and participation of rural people in administration and significant functional areas of the country.

However, the dynamism began in the early 1970s and created unexpected problems and narrowed the policy differences among political parties.  All political parties had to accept realities and adapt to the new environment.  Now the policies of political parties are similar, and especially, policies of political parties represented by Sinhala people, who are 75% of the total population of the country, are analogous and the disunity of Sinhala people basis of political parties has created many problems to the country. Therefore, it is essential to initiate talks between parties to combine UNP, SLFP, and SLPP to a single party.  This does not mean that the unity of major political parties disregards the Tamil and Muslim Parties. Like in India, Hindus networked to Janata Party, Sri Lanka needs creating UNPP (United National Podujana Peramuna) party to tackle all internal problems.

The Easter Sunday attacks to churches and tourist hotels did massive damage to Islam faith and Muslim community in Sri Lanka since the inception of Islam faith in the country because Muslim people cannot say that the incident has not happened and suicide bombers were not belonging to Islam faith. It was a true incident, that has been recorded in many documents and future generations could refer to it and study it.  Now the incident has recorded in history and it cannot remove from history.  In addition, Muslim people have incurred massive economic losses as many consumers in the country, Sinhala people reluctant to associate with the business of Muslim people.  In this background, Sinhala people force major political parties to unite and work together to remove the threat from Sri Lanka’s soil. 

The building of unity shouldn’t be like 2015 Yahapalana unity, it should be broader agreement with policy and programs and leadership should be given to a combine leaders of three parties and it may be a new form of leadership that did not exist in the world but it will not be a utopian style and it will be a truth in this planet.

During the period of the achievement of independence and after several decades political parties in Sri Lanka had been maintaining policy differences in relation to the management of the economy, especially they were focused on the public enterprises’ management and the ownership of investments.  Those ideas and policies were foregone years and the modern environment forces all political parties to be in uniform in relation to economic policies.  In the political side, it appears that minor difference but they are easily removable. Religious and all other policies are similar and in such an environment why political parties opted to be separated than uniting to single party with a view to teaching a lesson to all citizens of the country that uniting political parties can produce an excellent model to the country and the world that a just society could be made of united political environment that isolates working of divided political parties.

Past leaders of political parties had family hegemony with a view to continuing it, however, the history of Sri Lanka clearly demonstrates that family hegemony was a temporary concept and utopia of present leaders.  The Current parliamentary system seems to be exist some ruins of past ideology and burring past ruins is the responsibility of modern leaders and people.