The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP; ; ) is a centre-left political party in Sri Lanka. Founded by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in 1951,Charting a new course for Sri Lanka's success . Daily News (Sri Lanka), 16 November 2009. the party was one of Sri Lanka's two main parties from the 1950s to the 2010s, serving as the main rival of the centre-right United National Party. Following a split in the late 2010s and subsequent electoral losses, the influence of the party has since diminished.
The party is generally considered as having a democratic socialist or progressive economic agenda and is often associated with Sinhalese nationalist parties. The party follows a non-aligned foreign policy but has historically had close ties to socialist nations.
History The Sri Lanka Freedom Party was founded in 1951, when long-standing United National Party stalwart S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike defected from the party and crossed over to the opposition with several of his other close associates. His party, the Sinhala Maha Sabha, was dissolved and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was inaugurated.
After Sri Lanka gained its independence, the SLFP represented a form of non-revolutionary socialism and a policy of non-alignment with strong ties to socialist countries. Its social democratic and nationalist policies in the aftermath of Sri Lankan independence supported its rapid rise towards attaining major party status alongside the centre-right United National Party. SLFP founder S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike stated that the basis of the party would be the 'Pancha Maha Balavegaya' (Five Great Forces) which consisted of the native doctors, clergy, teachers, farmers and workers.Sepalika De Silva, Cultural practice of human rights: An anthropological study of human rights in Sri Lanka (2006), p. 57.
After winning 9 seats in the 1952 parliamentary election, Bandaranaike contested the 1956 election on a platform of giving true meaning to the independence achieved in 1948. This involved a nationalist, democratic and socialist program which saw the SLFP achieve a huge victory at the 1956 elections and is seen by many observers as a social revolution resulting in the eclipse of the Westernised elite.IBP USA, Sri Lanka Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments (2012), p. 39.
Under S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike (1956–1959) The achievements of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's term of office include the reverting of major defence facilities from British to local control, initiating a shift in Sri Lanka's foreign policy from the West to the Non-Aligned Movement and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age.
Working people, a core base of support for the party, also benefited through the setting up of an Employee's Provident Fund and the empowerment of peasants through the Paddy Lands Act. The healthcare and education systems were also improved for the benefit of the common man with the establishment of ayurvedic research centres, recognition of native physicians as well as the allowing of students to learn in their mother tongue (rather than only English).
The S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike government also had a lasting contribution in language policy. In 1956 Sinhala replaced English as the sole official language of Sri Lanka, fulfilling a major election pledge. In reaction to Tamil unease to this change, the Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact was signed to grant official status to the Tamil language as well. However, the agreement was vehemently opposed by hardline Sinhalese nationalists led by the UNP and instead a watered down act was passed. In September 1959, Bandaranaike was assassinated by Talduwe Somarama, an extremist Buddhist monk opposed to Bandaranaike's supposed attempts to appease the Tamils. He was replaced as prime minister for an interim period by Wijeyananda Dahanayake.
Under Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1960–1977) Afterwards, the party turned to Bandaranaike's widow Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who consequently became the world's first elected female head of government in 1960. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was determined to carry on the program of her late husband and her government pursued several socialist policies during its terms of office from 1960 to 1964 and 1970 to 1977. Sirimavo also initiated the trend of the SLFP forging alliances with other leftist parties such as the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, a trend which the SLFP continues to this day.
Under Sirimavo Bandaranaike's leadership, SLFP governments nationalised key sectors of the economy such as banking and insurance, the Ceylon Transport Board and also all schools then owned by the Roman Catholic Church. Issues arose during the state takeover of foreign businesses which upset the United States and Britain. Consequently, this augmented the SLFP's foreign policy shift towards the East and the Non-Aligned Movement. Further, in 1972, the SLFP led government oversaw the introduction of a new constitution which changed the country's name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka and declared Sri Lanka to be a republic.
During her term in office, Sirimavo Bandaranaike achieved high international standing, being chosen as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1976 and receiving plaudits as the SLFP-led government attempted to mediate between India and China during the Sino-Indian war.
In government, the SLFP had to also overcome a number of challenges to democracy such as the 1962 coup attempt, launched by Christian officers upset by the increasing number of Buddhist officer corp which had previously been three-fifths Christian. Likewise, in 1971 the SLFP-led government was almost toppled by a Marxist insurrection led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. The insurrection was successfully put down by the Ceylonese government, and the conflict claimed more than a thousand lives.
Towards the end of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's second term as prime minister, her government had become increasingly unpopular amidst a declining economy and charges of corruption. In the 1977 election, the SLFP saw a landslide defeat, winning only eight seats in the legislature.John Richardson, Paradise Poisoned: Learning About Conflict, Terrorism and Development from Sri Lanka's Civil Wars (2005), p. 324. This would be the start of the party's 17 years in opposition.
In opposition (1977–1994) This period of opposition was made greatly difficult after President J. R. Jayewardene's government stripped Sirimavo Bandaranaike of her civic rights for 7 years and expelled her from parliament.John Richardson, Paradise Poisoned: Learning About Conflict, Terrorism and Development from Sri Lanka's Civil Wars (2005), p. 400. As a result, the SLFP was forced to field former minister Hector Kobbekaduwa as their candidate at the 1982 presidential election, who failed to deliver a strong outcome for the party. The SLFP suffered another blow the same year, when a referendum to delay parliamentary elections by 6 years was passed. During this period, the party suffered from internal conflicts, with Sirimavo's son Anura Bandaranaike, who led the party in parliament after her expulsion, shifting the traditionally socialist party to the right, while her daughter and future party leader Chandrika Kumaratunga led a breakaway party, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, in response to her brother's shift.IBP USA, Sri Lanka Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments (2012), p. 84. In 1989, Sirimavo Bandaranaike was reelected to the parliament and took the lead again; she became leader of the opposition.
In the early 1990s, the existing UNP government had weakened through internal conflicts of its own as well as the descent into two civil wars and fading public support. New SLFP leaders, most prominently Mahinda Rajapaksa, had launched successful pada yatra, jana gosha and white flag campaigns against the UNP government during this period. By this time, Anura Bandaranaike had defected to the UNP to receive ministerial appointments, so Kumaratunga, who had returned to the party, was now the undisputed party leader and successor to her mother. Sirimavo Bandaranaike had lost her influence with the electorate and stepped aside as party leader in favour of her daughter.
Under Chandrika Kumaratunga (1994–2005) During the 1994 parliamentary and presidential elections, the SLFP saw a successful return to power and Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected the nation's first female president as part of the SLFP-led People's Alliance coalition. Kumaratunga's tenure marked the beginning of the SLFP's shift from the party's initial socialist policies towards a more centrist philosophy that sought to combine both the free market and the SLFP's traditional people-friendly policies.De Silva, K.M. A History of Sri Lanka, Colombo: 2005. .
The People's Alliance government continued with their predecessor's attempts to negotiate with the LTTE, whilst simultaneously attempting to weaken them militarily through force. The SLFP government however initially placed greater emphasis on achieving peace with the Kumaratunga government engaging in numerous peace talks. However, LTTE intransigence limited the policy's effectiveness. The People's Alliance can be credited however with significant victories on the foreign policy front, with Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar spearheading successful efforts to further isolate the LTTE internationally.Sir Adam Roberts, Democracy, Sovereignty and Terror: Lakshman Kadirgamar on the Foundations of International Order (2012), p. viii. Another achievement of the Kumaratunga administration was the establishment of several new public universities.
Despite successes on these fronts, the Kumaratunga government also oversaw territorial losses to the LTTE as well as a flagging economy. As a result of this, a UNP government was elected at the 2001 parliamentary elections. In November 2003, Kumaratunga used her presidential powers to take powers away from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's UNP in the form of important ministries, and the new SLFP-led alliance, the United People's Freedom Alliance, returned to power at the 2004 parliamentary election with future party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa being appointed as the prime minister.
Under Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005–2015) A rift opened up in the party in 2005 over the choice of its candidate at the 2005 presidential election between the President Kumaratunga-backed Anura Bandaranaike and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Many members of the SLFP had been uneasy with Chandrika Kumaratunga's liberal economic policies, privatisation of many public institutions as well as several allegations of corruption against her. Rajapaksa was ultimately selected as the presidential candidate of the SLFP-led United People's Freedom Alliance and was subsequently elected as President.
Under Mahinda Rajapaksa, the SLFP shifted back to the left towards a social democratic program termed 'Mahinda Chinthana'. Some of the companies privatised by the Kumaratunga administration were re-nationalised such as Shell Gas Lanka.
The major legacy of this period of UPFA government was bringing an end to the long-running civil war and the reunification of Sri Lanka. This achievement greatly boosted the popularity of the SLFP, leading to convincing victories in both the presidential and parliamentary polls held in 2010.