By According to a recent opinion survey, Ranil Wickremesinghe has made considerable gains within the last few months, closing the gap between himself and Sajith Premadasa, who is now leading, and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, who is in second place.,how vever he still remains at the third place.
The support from a large number of SLPP parliamentarians who joined Ranil Wickremesinghe, despite the party’s decision not to support his presidency, is seen as another plus for him. However, this is not how the rival SJB sees things.
Many in the SJB camp express the view that Ranil Wickremesinghe is acting in utter desperation, with some even speculating that he may pull out at the last moment because he has much to lose if he ends up behind Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka.
SJB parliamentarian Mujibur Rahuman points out that the acceptance of a large section of an utterly corrupt ruling SLPP into his camp was nothing but an act of desperation on the part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the ruling party. MP Rahuman states, “President Wickremesinghe should be ashamed of himself for being proposed as a candidate at the 2024 presidential election by Prasanna Ranatunga, who had been sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for five years, in June 2022, by the Colombo HC for threatening a businessman. Has the President been unable to get a person acceptable to society to propose him?”
Rahuman argues that President Wickremesinghe’s partnership with the SLPP faction is advantageous to the main opposition SJB, as voters are aware that the alliance with Wickremesinghe is opportunistic.
Premier Dinesh Gunawardena’s backing for Wickremesinghe’s candidature wouldn’t make a difference, points out Mujibur Rahuman.
Vulnerability
Meanwhile, former chairperson of the SLPP, MP Prof. G. L. Peiris, who has now distanced himself from the Rajapaksa’s, said that President Wickremesinghe’s declarations and actions were contradictory. Having claimed that President Wickremesinghe had the backing of nearly 100 SLPP members, the Head of State was still exploring ways and means of jeopardizing the scheduled presidential poll, according to the former External Affairs Minister.
Prof. Peiris added that President Wickremesinghe’s refusal to appoint an Acting IGP on the basis that a vacancy didn’t exist exposed his vulnerability. Addressing the media on Thursday (01) at Nawala, Prof. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe’s actions belie their own claims of the independent candidate gaining overwhelming advantage in the run-up to the September 21 presidential election. Prof. Peiris alleged that President Wickremesinghe rejected the Election Commission’s request for him to make an acting appointment as Deshabandu Tennakoon remained in office.
Prof. Peiris reminded President Wickremesinghe that the last presidential election, in November 2019, had been conducted under the supervision of an Acting IGP. The then President Maithripala Sirisena made the appointment in the wake of Pujitha Jayasundera being sent on compulsory leave over his failure to thwart the Easter Sunday carnage.
Meanwhile, the SLPP and the Rajapaksa’s have still not named their candidate, and there is speculation that they may even not name one. However, businessman Dhamika Perera is still keen on contesting, as he is capable of figuring out what he has to gain by just entering the battle.
