By Ranil Wickremesinghe, the old fox of Sri Lankan politics, is not ready to sit quietly. In his March 6, 2025, Head to Head interview on Al Jazeera with Mehdi Hasan, he faced tough questions about his past. But he also showed he wants to come back. At 75, after being president and prime minister many times, Ranil thinks he can help Sri Lanka again. The new government under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and the NPP is in charge now, but Ranil has a plan—and some people want him back too.
In the video, Ranil stays calm even when asked hard things. He talks about keeping Sri Lanka steady, saying, “I always worked for stability.” On X, people argue—is this a big comeback or just an old man trying again? Truth is, Ranil has ideas. He wants power, and he’s ready to make deals.
One big worry: if Ranil gets power, he might help the Rajapaksas. He’s worked with them before. In 2022, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa ran away, Ranil took over and kept things quiet for them. Some say he’d do it again—maybe give them a way back. That’s dangerous. People who fought in the Aragalaya hate the Rajapaksas for corruption and mess. If Ranil brings them back, the streets could get angry again.
But Ranil has something good to offer AKD’s NPP: his money skills. He knows how to fix the economy. In 2022-2024, he got IMF help and stopped the rupee from falling too much. The NPP is new and doesn’t know everything yet. Ranil says, “Let me help.” He thinks if he fixes the money side, AKD can win big—keep prices low, make jobs for small businesses, stop corruption a bit, and settle things down.
Middle Man -New Deal
Ranil’s real plan is a “new deal.” He wants to be the middleman. In the video, he talks about unfinished work—fixing the economy, bringing people together, making rules better. He also wants to control the SJB, the other big party led by Sajith Premadasa. The SJB is weak now, but still trouble for AKD. Ranil could use his old UNP friends to keep them quiet and help AKD stay strong.
Sounds nice, right? But wait. This could go wrong. Helping the Rajapaksas might make people so mad that AKD loses trust. Ranil’s money fixes before hurt poor people with high prices—doing it again could make NPP voters run away. On X, some call him “smart,” others say he’s “just for the rich.” He can’t be both.
And AKD? He’s a fighter, not a deal-maker. Will he let an old politician like Ranil take over? Maybe not. Ranil’s “new deal” looks good, but he’s failed before—governments with him fell apart. Controlling corruption might just mean new friends get rich instead of old ones.
Still, if it works, Sri Lanka could get peace for a while—steady money, growing small businesses, less fighting with SJB. AKD could look like a hero, with Ranil helping quietly. But if it fails, Rajapaksas come back, money stays bad, or people protest, Ranil’s big return could break everything. He’s not just coming back—he’s playing a risky game, and we’re all watching.
