Rajeev Amarasooriya Out, Ali Sabry in? SJB Searches for Western Province Chief Minister Candidate
Former Foreign Minister reportedly interested in SJB ticket as questions emerge over whether he can convert national prominence into votes in the Western Province
The political contest for the proposed Western Provincial Council is beginning to generate speculation within the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), with former Foreign Minister Ali Sabry reportedly emerging as a potential contender for the party’s Chief Ministerial candidacy.
The development comes amid reports that President’s Counsel and former Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Chairman Rajeev Amarasooriya, who had been discussed as a possible SJB candidate for the Western Province Chief Minister position, is no longer actively pursuing the contest.
Amarasooriya's political prospects have come under renewed discussion following the controversy surrounding the proposed 22nd Amendment and the political battle that accompanied it. His critics argue that the episode has weakened his position and raised questions about whether he can successfully enter an electoral contest.
The emerging name of Ali Sabry therefore creates an entirely different political proposition for the SJB.
Sabry is a nationally recognised political figure who served as Justice Minister and later as Foreign Minister during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration. He was also closely associated with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as his lawyer before entering frontline politics.
But the central question facing the SJB is straightforward: Can Ali Sabry actually win an election?
Unlike many established politicians, Sabry's political career has not been built primarily through repeated victories in constituency-level elections. His rise to Parliament and ministerial office occurred in a highly unusual political environment, and his public profile has largely been associated with his legal career, national politics and ministerial responsibilities.
A Western Province Chief Ministerial contest, however, would be a fundamentally different political battlefield.
The Western Province consists of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts and contains some of the country's most politically sophisticated and electorally competitive voters. A candidate seeking the Chief Minister's position would have to demonstrate not merely national recognition, but an ability to mobilise voters at the grassroots level.
That is where the Ali Sabry proposition becomes politically interesting.
Can he attract sufficient support in Colombo?
Can he build an electoral machine in Gampaha?
Or could Kalutara provide the political base necessary for a successful provincial campaign?
These are questions the SJB leadership will have to answer before placing its political credibility behind any candidate.
Sabry's supporters could argue that his national profile, legal background and experience as a Cabinet minister provide him with advantages that an ordinary provincial politician may not possess. His experience in foreign affairs could also help the SJB present him as a candidate capable of bringing a more national and professional profile to provincial government.
His opponents, however, are likely to make precisely the opposite argument.
They will ask whether national recognition automatically translates into votes.
Sri Lankan elections have repeatedly demonstrated that television appearances, ministerial positions and professional reputations do not necessarily guarantee electoral success. Provincial elections require strong local organisations, relationships with voters, party workers and an ability to operate across hundreds of local political networks.
There is also another issue that could become part of the political debate.
Questions have previously been raised regarding official and private aspects of Sabry's overseas travel, including a reported visit to Cambridge University. If any public authority has formally investigated the circumstances of such travel, the findings would need to be established through official records rather than political speculation.
Similarly, questions have been raised publicly concerning the presence of Sabry's son during a United Nations-related visit in New York while the son was reportedly studying in the United States. The circumstances of that visit, including whether it was official, private or otherwise authorised, would need to be clarified by the relevant authorities.
These matters could become politically significant if Sabry seeks a major elected position.
However, an important distinction must be maintained: an investigation or allegation does not itself establish wrongdoing. Any allegations should ultimately be determined by competent authorities on the basis of evidence.
For the SJB, the larger political calculation is therefore not simply whether Ali Sabry wants the nomination.
The real question is whether the party believes he can win.
The SJB will have to balance national political visibility against electoral machinery. It will also have to consider whether voters in the Western Province are looking for a nationally known lawyer and former minister or a politician with a long-established local electoral base.
The possible withdrawal of Rajeev Amarasooriya and the reported emergence of Ali Sabry would therefore represent a significant change in the SJB's strategy.
The Western Province is too important for any major political party to treat the Chief Ministerial contest as a symbolic appointment.
If Ali Sabry eventually receives the SJB nomination, the election will provide a direct test of his political strength.
For the first time, the former minister would have to answer a question that national appointments cannot answer:
Can Ali Sabry win the people's vote?
The voters of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara will ultimately provide the answer.