Ranil claims some TNA MPs “voted for me”

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has claimed to be aware that some TNA MPs voted for him at the July 20 parliamentary vote for president.TNA sources said President Wickeremesinghe said so at his first meeting at his office with the party as a single group.A senior TNA MP said that with the voting secret, the truth may never be known, but the president claimed to know that at least some TNA MPs backed him.

“He said: ’I know some of you voted for me’. It was his first meeting with Tamil MPs. The President raised the issue of the vote last month,” the MP said pointing out the voting was secret.

He said that a day ahead the vote in parliament, the TNA announced it would back Dullas Alahapperuma. “The decision to back Alahapperuma caused controversy both within the TNA and throughout the North-East. After the vote there were rumours that several MPs of the TNA broke ranks and voted for Wickremesinghe instead,” the MP said.

The TNA sources said that at the meeting the MPs put forward several requests which are similar to the party’s conditions including the release of Tamil political prisoners, halting the military occupation of private land, the immediate repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on accountability.