Presidential battle

Sri Lanka PM faces party challenge

Ag AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition became embroiled in a power struggle on Tuesday as two challengers came forward to oppose Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to be candidate for a looming presidential election.

Wickremesinghe had been the clear frontrunner to be the United National Party candidate until parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya and deputy party leader Sajith Premadasa threw their hats into the ring.

The UNP dominates the ruling coalition and is expected to nominate its candidate for the election to be held between November 7 and December 7. Voting already risks controversy with Gotabaya Rajapakse, younger brother of Sri Lanka’s former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse, leading the opposition bid despite outstanding court cases and criminal inquiries.

Jayasuriya, 78, who played a key role in ending a political crisis last year, said he wants the top office so he can scrap the presidential system which he accused of centralising power.

"I will enter the contest with the intention of abolishing the executive presidency and not to enjoy that office," Jayasuriya said in a statement. "Since 1995, we have wanted to scrap the presidency, but failed." Jayasuriya led a campaign by members of parliament in October to oppose incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena’s bid to sack Wickremesinghe and install a puppet prime minister.

Hours before his announcement however, Premadasa, 52, told a hurriedly summoned press conference that he should be the UNP’s presidential hopeful.

The son of president Ranasinghe Premadasa who was assassinated by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in 1993, Premadasa called for a secret ballot of the UNP executive to decide the candidate.