Three nominations were submitted for the Parliamentary Election to choose a successor President. The names of Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Member of Parliament Dullas Alahapperuma and Member of Parliament Anura Kumara Dissanayake were proposed for the post.
Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena proposed the name of Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe for the Presidency in Parliament yesterday and it was seconded by MP Manusha Nanayakkara.
Meanwhile, National People’s Power MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake was proposed by MP Vijitha Herath and seconded by MP Harini Amarasuriya.
In addition, Opposition Leader – Sajith Premadasa proposed the name of SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma for the Presidency and it was seconded by Minister G.L. Peiris.
Earlier, the Opposition Leader announced that he would withdraw from running for Presidency, pledging his and the SJB’s support to MP Alahapperuma.
Parliament was then adjourned until 10.00am today (20) and the election for the Presidency will take place today.
Speaking to the media following the handing over of nominations, Chairman of the Podujana Peramuna Prof. G.L. Peiris said that he agrees to appoint Sajith Premadasa as the Prime Minister in the event Dullas Alahapperuma is elected as the President.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary Nizam Kariyappah said his Party had decided to back the SJB decision and vote for Dullas Alahapperuma at today’s election in Parliament.
Several members of the party and opposition also expressed their views to the media at the Parliament premises yesterday.
MP Dillip Wedaarachchi told the media that SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa had stepped down from contesting for presidency, in order to support the move to defeat Ranil Wickremesinghe. “Our desire was to have our leader Sajith Premadasa contest for the presidency. However, paying heed to the requests made by the protesters and the public and in view of defeating the common enemy, he decided to step down and support Dullas Alahapperuma instead. He took this decision to support the country’s best interest putting aside his own ambitions,” Wedaarachchi said.
MP W.D.J. Seneviratne said that Sajith Premadasa had decided to withdraw from the race for presidency paying heed to the demands of the people in order to elect a leader who could rebuild the country’s economy and stabilize the country.
MP Rauff Hakeem told the media that Sajith Premadasa had stepped down from the presidential race for the greater good of the country and that their group is ready to form a government with Premadasa as the Prime Minister.
Prof. G.L. Peiris expressing his views said that it was a collective decision to back the nomination of Dullas Alahapperuma and denied claims that the party was split. He said that there are a handful of MPs who are of a different view, to which they are entitled to. He said that they would support Sajith Premadasa as the prime minister if Dullas Alahapperuma is elected President. “The people’s demands are crystal clear and they are asking for a new start and a clear change. So their desire should be listened to and we must comply with the public’s desire. I seconded the nomination of Dullas Alahapperuma based on the majority agreement of the party. There are a handful who may oppose it, but that is not uncommon. What the people want is to all parties to unite.”
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday that although he had written to SLPP Secretary General Sagara Kariyawasam questioning the basis under which a statement was made that the party will support acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the election for Presidency, he is still to receive a response to it. Speaking to the Daily News Parliamentarian Sanjeewa Edirimanna said that their group will not cast a second preference.
In addition, former President Maithripala Sirisena led SLFP group convened a special party central committee meeting yesterday afternoon (19) to decide on who they would support. However, although MP Chamara Sampath, earlier stated that they would support Ranil Wickremesinge’s candidacy, it is now speculated that the SLFP would back Dullas Alahapperuma instead.
It is also speculated tHat the JVP would also pull out of the presidential race and support the candidacy of Dullas Alahapperuma, but the JVP declined to comment on it.
Meanwhile, it is also speculated that in the event Ranil Wickremesinghe is elected as the President, he would pick Dinesh Gunawardena as the Prime Minister. The voting for the election of the new president will take place in parliament today (20). Thus, when the voting starts, the name of each MP including the Speaker and the Secretary General who acts as the Returning Officer will be called. Then the member should go to the returning officer’s desk and get a ballot paper. Then the member in charge as the polling officer will make a short signature with his initials on the back of the ballot paper.
Thereafter, the member who got the ballot paper should go to the booth arranged in the middle of the chamber, mark the ballot paper and place the short signature of the Returning Officer in a visible place in the box on the Returning Officer’s desk.
Each MP is entitled to only one vote and the vote should be marked with the number “1” in the box opposite the candidate’s name. There is also an option to mark preferences when there are multiple candidates. Accordingly, according to the number of candidates who have appeared, in the boxes in front of the names of other election candidates, 2, 3 etc. can be marked according to the order of their preferences.
After voting, the number of votes recorded for each candidate is counted. If a candidate wishes to witness the counting of votes, he has the opportunity to do so or he can appoint another MP to represent him.
If a candidate receives more than one-third of the valid votes cast, the returning officer, who is the Secretary General of the Parliament, immediately announces that the candidate has been elected to the presidency.
But in the event no candidate gets more than one-third of the valid votes cast, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated from the competition. If each MP who voted as first preference for the candidate removed from the competition has their second preference, they will be added to the respective candidate.
Then, even if no candidate has received more than two-thirds of the valid votes, the candidate who receives the least number of votes in each calculation is removed from the competition and votes are added to the remaining candidates according to preference. The candidate who obtains the majority of votes at the end of the counting as above will be elected to the office of President. However, if the votes are equal between two or more candidates, a draw will be made at the sole discretion of the Returning Officer.
Also, the name of the candidate should be published by the Secretary General in the Gazette within three days from the election of the President.
Meanwhile the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) yesterday unanimously decided to support Dullas Alahapperuma Mano Ganesan MP told media.
The All Ceylon Makkal Congress headed by Rishad Bathuideen too said they will support Alahapperuma at the poll in parliament today.
COURTESY DAILYNEWS
