A close ally of the President signals a dramatic shift, declaring he will withhold support unless the executive presidency is abolished as promised.
Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, a London-based journalist known to be close to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has publicly stated that he will not support the President if he seeks re-election under the current executive presidential system.
In a detailed social media post, Kurukulasuriya stressed that the National People’s Power is unlikely to secure another commanding 159-seat majority in Parliament. He argued that the present two-thirds mandate offers a rare constitutional window to implement long-promised reforms, particularly the abolition of the executive presidency.
Responding to an online poll asking whether he would vote for Anura again, Kurukulasuriya wrote that unless the country faces an extraordinary national crisis, he would not back another presidential bid. However, he made it clear that if Anura fulfills the pledge to dismantle the executive presidential system and contests instead as Prime Minister under a reformed parliamentary framework, he would actively campaign for him.
He recalled that since the era of JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera, abolishing the executive presidency has been a core policy. The JVP and its allied formations have consistently advocated for a Prime Minister accountable to Parliament. Kurukulasuriya cited past attempts, including Chandrika Kumaratunga’s 2000 constitutional draft, to underline how delays and political maneuvering derailed reform efforts.
He emphasized that Anura now holds a historic opportunity with a two-thirds majority. Yet he cautioned against rushing through a constitution without broad political consensus. Only a durable, inclusive constitutional reform, he suggested, would justify renewed political support.
