By Shamindra Ferdinando

Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga on Wednesday (26) said that presidential election would be held later this year in spite of continuing speculation about moves to put it off and advance the parliamentary polls.The Gampaha District MP, who is also the Urban Development and Housing Minister, said the presidential election would be conducted as scheduled followed by parliamentary polls next year.

Addressing the media at the newly established election propaganda office at No 15, Lauries Lane, Bambalapitiya, Minister Ranatunga declared that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had proved his mettle by accepting the daunting task of leading the country following the declaration of bankruptcy.

SLPP MPs namely Prasanna Ranatunga, Power and Energy minister Kanchana Wijesekera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and SJB MP and Labour and Foreign Employment minister Mansusha Nanayakkara run the Lauries Lane propaganda office.

Political sources said that the group was engaged in discussions with the SLFP-New Alliance combine also backing President Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming presidential poll. Sources said that a consensus was likely soon in time for the Election Commission announcement on the presidential election scheduled for Sept/Oct this year. The New Alliance consists of dissident SLPP MPs. Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha is also part of the group.

Minister Ranatunga said that President Wickremesinghe had earned the appreciation and confidence of the public by restoring normalcy within a short period of time.

Ranatunga alleged SJB and JJB/JVP had launched strikes in the public sector as they couldn’t stomach progress made under extremely difficult situations.

Minister Nanayakkara said that the SJB and JJB/JVP mounted a large-scale public sector strike on March 15, 2023 ahead of the signing of the agreement on March 22 of the same month. Their efforts had failed, Nanayakkara said.

MP Aluthgamage lambasted the JJB/JVP for organising a protest opposite the Fort Railway station on Wednesday. Pointing out that protest coincided with the finalisation of agreement on restructuring of USD 5.8 bn debt, he claimed the organisers expected a protester to die.

Responding to a media query, MP Aluthgamage said that the SLPP hadn’t decided to field a candidate at the presidential election.