Catch-All Parties and Party-Voter Nexus in Sri Lanka (Politics of South Asia)

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. 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 Preface Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction The Problem Political Parties, Citizens and Democracy Party Organization The Party-Voter Nexus Theoretical Approach Pierre Bourdieu and the Theory of Practice Habitus Fields Forms of Capital Doxa Social Capital and Network Politics The Study Methodology and Methods Selecting Field Locations Structure of the Book References 2 Dynamics of Party Organization at the Level of the Electorate Party Organization in Electorates Electorate Organizer Establishment of Electoral Leadership Electorate Leadership—Dedigama Electorate Leadership—Weligama Electorate Leadership—Kelaniya The Basic Components of Party Organization in Electorates Inner Circle Capacity to Unleash and Counter Violence Grassroots Political Leadership: From Village Elites to Brokers Life Stories of Grassroots Political Leaders Story of Siriwardena from Ragalakanda34 Story of Berty Gunapala from Waddeniya35 Party Branches Membership Ancillary Organizations Conclusion References 3 From Party Organization to Party Mobilization Feeble Institutions of Party Organization in Electorates Patronage that Facilitates Smooth Networking Institutionally Weak but Sophisticated in Personal Networking Role of Political Actors in Mediating State Institutions and the Citizen Role of Networks in Coordinating the Mediation of Citizen and Political Actors Turning Networks into the Party Organization Structure Cleavages as Territorial Boundaries for Political Actors Caste as a Territorial Boundary Ethnicity, Religion and Class as Territorial Boundaries. Oscillation and Transformation in Party Organization Transformation Oscillation Conclusion Bibliography 4 Examining the Logic and Practice of Voting Introduction Trajectory of the State-Society Relationship Explaining the ‘Logic of Voting’ Importance of Studying the ‘Voter’ Instead of the ‘Citizen’ Voting is Far from Being an Individual Affair Voting and Interests of the Citizen Voting and Identity Interests Caste Interests Ideological Interests Voting and Material Interests Jobs Land and Shelter Other Goods For the Community State of Dependency of the Voter Voter’s Attitudes Towards Politicians and Elections Conclusion References 5 Examining Party Allegiance Introduction Defining Party Allegiance Voting for a Party vs. Party Allegiance Party Allegiance as a Non-Homogeneous Category Active Party Loyalists Passive Party Loyalists Pragmatist Voters Forming Party Allegiance Inheriting Party Allegiance of the Family Party Allegiance and the Influence of Electoral Strategies The Story of Somalatha Electoral Strategies Party Organizing as Electoral Strategy Propaganda as Electoral Strategy Conclusion References 6 Desertion of the Party Introduction The Context Local Networks Deserting National Leaders Deserting SLFP for SLPP Deserting UNP for SJB Forming into a New Party Realignment of the Old Political Actor Network Mobilizing the New Party for Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Political Climate National-Level Campaign Local Level Campaign Conclusion References 7 Conclusion The Study Role of Party Organization to Maximize Votes Party Mobilization: Mobilizing Local Political Actors Instead of Members Rationalities at Work in the Practice of Voting Weakened Party Allegiance Vulnerabilities of Catch-All Parties Dynamics of the Party-Voter Nexus Continue Bibliography Author Index Subject Index