Wickremesinghe will avoid Presidential polls – Sunil Handunnetti

Saturday, 13 January 2024 01:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former MP and NPP Executive Council member Sunil Handunnetti

Says President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s past is evidence he will not face an election at this juncture
Assures Wickremesinghe will avoid polls and expresses uncertainty about who would come forward instead of him
Claims if Wickremesinghe had any intention to contest, his behaviour would be significantly different from what it is now

Despite differing opinions among Opposition parties, specifically the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National People’s Power (NPP), there appears to be a shared consensus that the current President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, will not be entering the fray as a contender in the upcoming 2024 Presidential election.

Former MP and NPP Executive Council member Sunil Handunnetti, during a radio program recently echoed sentiments akin to those expressed by SJB’s S.M. Marikkar, stating his conviction that Ranil Wickremesinghe is likely to abstain from putting forward his nomination as a Presidential candidate.

“The public frequently cautions us about Ranil Wickremesinghe and his various strategies. Looking at his track record, he suffered a defeat in the 2005 election. Subsequently, he abstained from participating in the elections in 2010, 2015, and 2020. Even in 2010 and 2015, when the UNP was in a strong position, he chose not to enter the election. Considering the current significant setback the party is experiencing, is it credible to believe that he will willingly participate in an election at this juncture?” Handunnetti asked.

“He will certainly avoid the election,” Handunnetti maintained. However, the former MP expressed uncertainty about who would come forward instead of Wickremesinghe.

Handunnetti opined that if Wickremesinghe had any intention to contest, his behaviour would be significantly different from what it is now.