Prasanna Ranatunga, a loyal Rajapaksa supporter from the Gampaha district, plans to make amends to his political legacy by switching sides and joining President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s camp.
A staunch Rajapaksa loyalist from the Gampaha district, Prasanna Ranatunga is planning to make amends to his political legacy by leaving the Rajapaksa camp and joining hands with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Ranatunga feels that there is no future in tagging along with Mahinda’s resurgence programme aimed at reviving the SLPP.
Through his private secretary, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who is currently overseas, has summoned the political bureau of his area, consisting of local political activists of the SLPP, to the Eurostar Hotel in Minuwangoda on the evening of the 20th.
Minister Prasanna Ranatunga’s politburo consists of 50 of his main supporters, including the chairmen and councillors of the Minuwangoda Urban Council and Pradeshiya Sabbah.
The purpose of the meeting was to ask the opinion of political activists whether the future political journey lies with the Mahinda Rajapaksa camp or with Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The minister informed the secretary that he (the secretary) should conduct an opinion poll among the people who participated, and the minister would go by the opinion of the group that represents the majority view. A sealed box was kept ready with two questions designed to determine whether Ranatunga should remain in the Rajapaksa camp or join hands with Wickremesinghe, who is giving leadership to salvage the country from the current economic mess.
All the political committee members who came were given a ballot paper and two designated questions. Those two questions are whether it is appropriate to continue with the leader who has accepted the challenge of solving the country’s economic crisis or whether it is appropriate to continue with the political position that has been there so far. The results have not been announced pending the vote of the Politburo members who participated in the discussion.
But it is reported through unofficial sources that the majority of those who cast their votes have indicated that they could not go far with the Rajapaksa camp and that they should join with Ranil Wickremesinghe and go ahead with the political journey.
According to unofficial sources, Prasanna Ranatunga, who was a follower of Mahinda, will now ponder joining the Ranil Wickremesinghe camp.
