In true Sri Lankan political style, a parliamentary seat has been turned into a revolving door — one MP out, Ranil Wickremesinghe back in. Premanath C. Dolawatta says it’s democracy in action. Critics say it’s just another stunt to keep the former president relevant. Either way, the ‘cylinder votes’ are being cashed in to give Wickremesinghe his big return.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is poised to make a dramatic return to parliament, announced former MP Premanath C. Dolawatta, who confirmed that one of the two MPs of the New Democratic National Front will step aside to pave the way.
Dolawatta stated that the decision on which MP will resign lies in the hands of the front’s leadership. According to him, Wickremesinghe’s comeback is more than just a political reshuffle; it’s a so-called “restoration of democracy.”
“The cylinder received 2 million votes in the general election, thanks to Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership,” Dolawatta claimed. “The two national list seats came purely because he led the cylinder. He is a great democrat, a person who carried democracy. Parliament today is wandering without direction. He must return to bring order.”
The political maneuver underscores how Sri Lanka’s parliament continues to be shaped less by voter choice and more by backroom deals and party arrangements. Critics argue that this kind of engineered entry highlights the fragility of democratic accountability, where seats are bartered like tokens rather than earned through direct public mandate.
Nonetheless, the announcement has set Colombo’s political circles buzzing, with Wickremesinghe’s allies hailing his return as a stabilizing move, while opponents see it as another recycled play from a career politician who refuses to leave the stage.
