Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the New Democratic Front (NDF), has raised concerns over the nomination of Ravi Karunanayake for one of the alliance’s two National List MP seats. Wickremesinghe claims the decision was made unilaterally by NDF General Secretary Sharmila Perera, without the consent of the other coalition parties or himself.
The NDF, which contested the 2024 General Election under the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol, secured three parliamentary seats and two National List seats. The alliance was formed by the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna (PENP).
As per an earlier agreement, one National List MP seat was to be allocated to the UNP and the other to PENP. A collective decision on the nominees was scheduled for discussion tomorrow (18) in Colombo by all alliance members. However, Perera reportedly submitted Karunanayake’s name to the Election Commission ahead of this meeting, bypassing the agreed process.
Adding to the complexity, there was a proposal to nominate former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera from PENP, who contested unsuccessfully in the Matara District, for one of the National List seats. Wickremesinghe expressed his disapproval of Perera’s unilateral action, emphasizing that decisions of such importance must involve the alliance’s leadership.
The NDF’s leadership, including Wickremesinghe, is set to meet tomorrow to resolve the issue and finalize the nominations for the two National List MP seats. This meeting will also address the controversy surrounding Karunanayake’s nomination and its implications for the alliance’s unity.
