The Freedom Party ( sing .ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, Tamil . சுதந்திரக் கட்சி) is one of the main political parties of Sri Lanka , which is considered center-left.
| Freedom Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Sirisena, Maitripala |
| Founder | Solomon Bandaranaike |
| Founding date | September 2, 1951 |
| Headquarters | |
| Ideology | social democracy , Sinhalese nationalism |
| Allies and blocks | KPSL |
| Site | |
History
The Freedom Party was formed in 1951 by a number of former members of the United National Party. It was headed by the leader of the lower house of parliament, Solomon Bandaranaike . The party advocated the proclamation of the republic, the withdrawal of British troops from the island and the development of relations with the socialist countries. The party enjoyed the support of the Buddhist clergy. In 1956, the PS won the parliamentary elections, and Bandaranaike became the head of the government. The Sinhalese nationalism of the PS leadership displeased the Tamil community, leading to a political crisis. In 1959, Solomon Bandaranaike was killed, in 1960, the party and the government were headed by his wife, Sirimavo Bandaranaike (the world's first female prime minister).
The further political life of the country was determined by the rivalry of two main forces - the Freedom Party and the United National Party. During the civil war of the 1980s. the party was in opposition to the SNP. In 1994, the PS returned to power - Chandrik Kumaratunga became president. With her support, in 2005, PS Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected as the new president. He managed to stabilize the situation in the country, to eliminate the consequences of the tsunami and to win a military victory over the LTTE . The Freedom Party heads the Popular Alliance (a coalition with Sinhalese center-left parties, Muslim organizations and the KPSL ). The opposition accuses the president and the PS leaders of restricting democratic freedoms.
| Election year | Candidate | Voices in the first round |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Hector Kobbekaduwa | 2,548,438 (39.07%) |
| 1988 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | 2,289,860 (44.95%) |
| 1994 | Chandrika kumaratunga | 4,709,205 (62.28%) |
| 1999 | Chandrika kumaratunga | 4.312.157 (51.12%) |
| 2005 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 4,887,152 (50.29%) |
| 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 6,015,934 (57.88%) |
| 2015 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 5,768,090 (47.58%) |
In 2016, Mahinda Rajapksa left the party
Links
- [www.slfp.lk official website]