Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya party, MP Udaya Gammanpila says that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently in 3rd place among contenders for Presidency and is doing everything possible to improve his position.
“He is now in third place among the candidates and is doing everything possible to move up. Lands and houses are being distributed, wages are being increased, and concessions are being given. They are also trying to win over members of the opposition and remove the Rajapaksas from the government” he said, addressing the media on Friday (14).
He further said that doing all these, a survey will be conducted to assess the situation in July, and if he is still in 3rd place, he will not run for Presidency as he does not want to to retire from politics with a bad record as the president who got the lowest percentage of votes in the history of the world.
Gammanpila also mentioned that the dynamics of the race could change if the leading candidate, Sajith Premadasa, makes a misstep. “If Sajith Premadasa isn’t cautious with his words, he could fall from first to third place, allowing Wickremesinghe to take the lead,” he warned.