COLOMBO: Prime Minister six times, leader of the main opposition party and a journalist who became a politician from the ruling party competed to become the next President of Sri Lanka, after incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled from the country this week.
Sri Lanka Parliamentary Speaker will hold a legislative body after receiving the official resignation of Rajapaksa and 225 members will choose to elect a new president, possibly next week.
Candidates who win must get a simple majority in parliament, but also won the trust of hundreds of thousands of Sri Lanka people who have participated in the protest movement – known as “Aragalaya”, or “struggle” in Sinhala – which caused Rajapaksa Rajapaksa.
PRIME MINISTER
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who served as Prime Minister for the sixth time in May and was appointed as Acting President, was one of the candidates for the top job, said two political sources.
Although the Wickremesinghe Party only holds one seat in parliament, the parts of Sri Lanka Postua Peramuna (SLPP) are in power, including the Basil Rajapaksa President, supporting it, the source said.
A SLPP official said that party members felt Wickremesinghe – who was also the Minister of State Finance – had a good grip on the economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka.
Wickremesinghe was involved in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout and budget package.
But the 73 -year -old politician remained very unpopular among many protesters, hundreds of them clashed with security forces and occupied their office this week.
Opposition leader
Sajith Premadasa, 55, leader of the main opposition of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Party (SJB), is another competitor in the Medan Empung. But with only about 50 members of parliament in parliament, he needs to build two partisan support to have opportunities.
Premadasa studied at the London School of Economics and entered politics after his father, President Ranasinghe Premradasa, was killed in suicide bombings in 1993.
He entered parliament in 2000, then served as Deputy Minister of Health Sri Lanka. In 2018, he was appointed as Minister of Housing Construction and Cultural Affairs.
“The SJB parliamentary group chose to nominate Sajith Premradasa because he understood the depth of people’s suffering and always supported their calls for change,” said Eran Wickramaratne, a senior member of SJB, who also built a relationship with Aragalaya, The Aragalaya, a SJB member, who also Has built a relationship with Aragalaya The Aragalaya, SJB, who has also built a relationship with Aragalaya The Aragalaya, has built a relationship with Aragalaya The Aragalaya, who has also built relations with Aragalaya The Aragalaya, who has also built relations with Aragalaya. Protest movement.
“This government has clearly lost its mandate and it is time for us to listen to people,” said Wickramaratne.
Former journalist
The third pioneer and the potential of the dark horse are Dullas Alahappema, a member of the senior parliament from SLPP who has received an attraction among parts of his party colleagues.
The ruling party has around 117 votes that can be used to lower candidates such as a former 63 -year -old journalist and take them across the line, said SLPP MP Charitha Heth.
Alahapperuma, who entered parliament in 1994, served as minister of mass media and cabinet spokesperson but resigned in April when President Rajapaksa dissolved the cabinet after the protesters surround his personal residence.
“I am a pragmatic. We need a candidate that can be accepted by Aragalaya and the larger public but someone who can also get the approval of parliamentary members,” said Herath.
“It’s not easy to get people like that,” he said. “Dullas will be a formidable and practical choice.”