Yesterday (23), ending his longest time away from Sri Lanka’s Parliament, United National Party (UNP) Leader and veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as a MP and the only parliamentary representative of the UNP. The attention garnered by Wickremesinghe leading up to his return to Parliament is also an indictment on the Opposition and the fact that Sajith Premadasa has failed to strengthen and solidify his position as the Leader of the Opposition. It is highly unlikely that Wickremesinghe could become the Opposition Leader of this Parliament, but he could become the de facto Opposition Leader unless Premadasa can turn the tide in his favour. It is interesting in this equation to ask which of them would be preferred by the Government as Opposition Leader. The Government is well aware of Premadasa’s vote pulling capabilities, and would prefer a highly critical but electorally ineffective Wickremesinghe as the most prominent Opposition politician.

Source: The Nation June 23, 2021 17:03 UTC