Majority of Sri Lanka’s ruling SLPP party in favour of Alahapperuma as President, Premadasa as PM

A majority of members of Sri Lanka’s ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party were in favour of nominating Dullas Alahapperuma, a leader of its breakaway faction, for the post of the President and principal Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa as the Prime Miner, Chairman of the SLPP, G L Peiris said on Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday’s presidential election.
Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and two others were proposed lawmakers on Tuesday as the three candidates for the July 20 presidential election to pick the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he resigned following a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy.
Wickremesinghe, 73, will face off against Alahapperuma, a 63-year-old staunch Sinhala Buddh national and a key member of the breakaway group of the SLPP and the left Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 53, it was officially announced in Parliament.

SLPP Chairman Peiris said that the majority of his party was in favour of appointing Alahapperuma as the President, underlining that the people’s voice is highlighted in Parliament, according to news portal News First. Lk.
Peiris added that the SLPP lawmakers have agreed to appoint Opposition Leader Premadasa, the 55-year-old leader of Sri Lanka’s principal opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) as the Prime Miner.
Incidentally, Premadasa on Tuesday had withdrawn from the presidential race to support Alahapperuma’s nomination.
Peiris said both parties must come together and govern the country and implement a programme to realise the aspirations of the citizens, the report said. Wednesday’s vote would also be a rare occasion when the House Speaker will vote.

Never in the hory of the presidency since 1978, Parliament had voted to elect a president.
Presidential elections in 1982, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2019 had elected them popular vote.
The only previous occasion when the presidency became vacant mid-term was in 1993 when president Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated. DB Wijetunga was unanimously endorsed Parliament to run the balance of Premadasa’s term.
The new president will serve the remaining tenure of Rajapaksa till November 2024.