Mainstream WeeklyNovember 16, 2019 should turn out to be a day Sri Lankans would not forget in a hurry. On that Saturday, Sri Lankans will choose their next President, opting for either the front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa or a no-push-over Sajith Premadasa. Rajapaksa’s party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (Sri Lanka People’s Party, or SLPP) is so certain of a huge victory that their candidate’s and other leaders’ statements are leaving no room for doubt in their predictions. On the other hand, the United National Party (UNP), the major partner in the current coalition government, which has put up Sajith, son of the former strongman and assassinated President Ranasinghe Premadasa, had already displayed considerable factionalism, hesitancy and conflicting views before zeroing in on the son.
Officially, however, the field is rather crowded with as many as thirtyfive candidates vying for their shares of votes. Almost all of them are mere publicity-hunters but two of