Appointed President Ranil Rajapaksa has started to see the presidential election nightmares.
That is why Palitha Range Bandara, accused of the 88-89 disappearances and Secretary General of his party UNP, has come up with a plan to postpone the presidential election for two years.
He has said that at Ranil Rajapaksa’s political kingdom, Pitakotte Sirikotha United National Party headquarters, holding a press conference there. So this is official position of Ranil Rajapaksha.
No one who joined the press conference has contradicted the postponement plan.
This scheme shows that Ranil Rajapaksa has come to know that he will lose the presidential election. If Ranil Rajapakse can win, the presidential election does not have to be postponed because then UNP can continue their political and economic program after the election.
According to Ranil Rajapaksa family controlled “Lankadeepa” news item Range Bandara has said:
“It is essential to pass a resolution in the parliament postponing the elections for another two years.
The 225 representatives of the Parliament have been elected in a democratic election system, so they represents the opinion of the people.
The economy of the country is now being brought to a certain place and in order to build the country, the current process should be continued without wasting time.
What should be done now is not to hold an election, but to extend the term of office of the President for another two years through the intervention of Sajith Premadasa or Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
At this moment, it is necessary for the journey of restructuring the country’s debt, obtaining concessions from the International Monetary Fund and developing international investments and relations.”
This is a completely anti-democratic statement. This can be considered as a checking the mood of the country. This statement made at a time when the Election Commission is preparing to hold the presidential election must be a plan of Ranil Rajapakse. Otherwise, his General Secretary will not make such a statement from his HQ.
Parliament alone cannot postpone the presidential election. A referendum is also needed for that. SJB or NPP will not agree to that at all.
So it can be done only by unprecedented repression.
Neither Ranil Rajapakse nor his employer, the IMF, has such power.
Ranil Rajapakse will have to drown Sri Lanka in a river of blood if the presidential election is to be postponed.
Even if he may like it, in practice it will be cutting his own throat with his own hands.
We need to warn Ranil Rajapakse not to prepare for such a dangerous step. It might be healthy for Ranil Rajapaksa to remember what happened to Gota.
Sunanda Deshapriya
28.05.24