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Lanka now faces tough tussle for office of Opposition leader
After a furiously fought election, Sri Lanka is witnessing another political battle, this time within the People`s Alliance(PA) for the post of Opposition leader.
After a furiously fought election, Sri Lanka is witnessing another political battle, this time within the People's Alliance(PA) for the post of Opposition leader.
A day after the former leader of Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in as the new prime minister, a tough tussle has cropped up in the PA camp, which faced a humiliated defeat in 20 out of 21 electoral districts in the December 5 parliamentary election. Former speaker Anura Bandaranaike, who crossed over to the PA led by her sister and President Chandrika Kumaratunga immediately after the dissolution of Parliament, former premier Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and senior vice-president of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party member (SLFP) and former fisheries minister Mahinda Rajapakse are the three senior candidates, who are now engaged in a serious campaign to gather support among the party members to capture the office of opposition leader.
Local 'daily news' quoted Mr Bandaranaike as saying that he was ''very interested'' in the post as there was tremendous pressure on him to do so by the SLFP members of Parliament and especially those in the Gampaha district from where he contested and got 262,900 votes. ''I have already told President Kumaratunga of my intention to contest the post,'' he said.
But Mr Rajapakse also has strongly staked his claim for the post. He has said he was not an ''over ambitious person'' but he felt that he was the ''ideal candidate'' for the post considering his party loyalty, experience and seniority.
Discounting a statement by pa general secretary D M Jayaratne said that outgoing prime minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake would be the leader of the opposition, Mr Rajapakse said Mr Jayaratne did not have the authority to decide since it was something to be decided by the PA and the SLFP apex bodies. He has warned that unless these bodies were consulted it was very likely to lead to a split within the party since he was confident a majority in the PA would back him.
Mr Rajapakse has said that if the PA imposed the retirement age, something that the party was advocating during the campaign, it was his chance and not anybody else's.
Bureau Report
A day after the former leader of Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in as the new prime minister, a tough tussle has cropped up in the PA camp, which faced a humiliated defeat in 20 out of 21 electoral districts in the December 5 parliamentary election. Former speaker Anura Bandaranaike, who crossed over to the PA led by her sister and President Chandrika Kumaratunga immediately after the dissolution of Parliament, former premier Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and senior vice-president of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party member (SLFP) and former fisheries minister Mahinda Rajapakse are the three senior candidates, who are now engaged in a serious campaign to gather support among the party members to capture the office of opposition leader.
Local 'daily news' quoted Mr Bandaranaike as saying that he was ''very interested'' in the post as there was tremendous pressure on him to do so by the SLFP members of Parliament and especially those in the Gampaha district from where he contested and got 262,900 votes. ''I have already told President Kumaratunga of my intention to contest the post,'' he said.
But Mr Rajapakse also has strongly staked his claim for the post. He has said he was not an ''over ambitious person'' but he felt that he was the ''ideal candidate'' for the post considering his party loyalty, experience and seniority.
Discounting a statement by pa general secretary D M Jayaratne said that outgoing prime minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake would be the leader of the opposition, Mr Rajapakse said Mr Jayaratne did not have the authority to decide since it was something to be decided by the PA and the SLFP apex bodies. He has warned that unless these bodies were consulted it was very likely to lead to a split within the party since he was confident a majority in the PA would back him.
Mr Rajapakse has said that if the PA imposed the retirement age, something that the party was advocating during the campaign, it was his chance and not anybody else's.
Bureau Report