Push to make MR Prime Minister will continue

The push to make former President Mahinda Rajapaksa the new Prime Minister will continue, Western Province Chief Minister Prassana Ranatunga said today.

Ranatunga, who is unsure if he will receive nominations or not from the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to contest the August 17 Parliament elections, said that the people who voted for Rajapaksa at the January Presidential election want him to be Prime Minister.

Rajapaksa lost the January election to?Maithripala Sirisena who eventually took over the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Chairmanship of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

Ranatunga has been a strong supporter of Rajapaksa and was part of the opposition led campaign to name him the Prime Ministerial candidate of the UPFA.

President Sirisena has so far refused to nominate?Rajapaksa as the UPFA Prime Ministerial candidate despite giving him nominations to contest for a Parliament seat.

Ranatunga said that there are also reports he will not be given nominations to contest the election and if those reports are true, the reason could be since he is seen as a strong supporter of Rajapaksa.

However the Western Province Chief Minister said that even if he is not given nominations from his party, he will continue to campaign to make Rajapaksa the next Prime Minister. (Colombo Gazette)