Overview
- Maps the evolution of the party–voter nexus of the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
- Is the most up-to-date, systematic study analyzing Sri Lanka’s main political parties
- Highlights the salience of personalities at the national as well as local levels in forming electoral support
Part of the book series: Politics of South Asia (POSAS)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This book systematically maps the evolution of the party–voter nexus of the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). In doing so, it argues that these parties rely mostly on a complex Web of patronage-based networks to mobilise electorates. They employ informal and highly dynamic, loosely knit networks as their organisational structures at the local level. They mainly focus on mobilising voters through local political actors rather than maintaining clear party bases and membership schemes. The study highlights the salience of personalities at the national as well as local levels in forming electoral support for the parties. These individuals exploit their economic, social, and cultural capital to mobilise the most efficient network that would strengthen their party during elections. The study also analyses the emergence of two new coalition centres from within these traditional parties, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and argues that these parties, though portraying themselves as new, have in fact retained the overall logic of the party–voter nexus by appropriating the organisational schemes and structures of their predecessors.
Reviews
-- Jayadeva Uyangoda, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of political parties and electoral politics in Sri Lanka. It provides new and in-depth analyses of the dominant parties, with particular attention to party organisation, electoral mobilisation, voter allegiance, and party defections at the local level."
-- Kristian Stokke, Professor of Human Geography, University of Oslo, NorwayAuthors and Affiliations
About the author
Pradeep Peiris is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Colombo, and Treasurer, Social Scientists’ Association, Sri Lanka. He was Founding Head of Social Indicator, Survey Research Arm of the Centre for Policy Alternatives and is currently the Sri Lanka Country Representative of Democracy Barometer.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Catch-All Parties and Party-Voter Nexus in Sri Lanka
Authors: Pradeep Peiris
Series Title: Politics of South Asia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4153-4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore
eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022
Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-16-4152-7Published: 21 November 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-981-16-4155-8Published: 22 November 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-981-16-4153-4Published: 20 November 2021
Series ISSN: 2523-8345
Series E-ISSN: 2523-8353
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 268
Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations, 7 illustrations in colour
Topics: Electoral Politics, Asian Politics