Arjuna Ranatunga and former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe have formed Sri Lanka’s newest political alliance to challenge incumbent President Ranil Wickremasinghe at this year’s election which they contend is the only way to eradicate the scourge of corruption in cricket.
The new Alliance has been named Unity of Sri Lanka and was launched from Ranasinghe’s hometown of Polonnaruwa.
“Our alliance is no ordinary alliance”, declared Ranasinghe at its inauguration. “It is one that will eliminate corruption and this Unity of Sri Lanka organisation will produce the next Head of State”.
Since his sacking from the job of Sports Minister by Wickremasinghe who is seen as an indirect supporter of corruption tainted Sri Lanka Cricket, Ranasinghe has hinted on several occasions that he will contest the Presidential election although stopping short of commiting himself.
But this marked the first time that he has made his intensions clear and branded his successor Harin Fernando a stooge of rogues.
“Harin Fernando once wore black (in Parliament) and declared Mahinda Rajapaksa, Namal and Gota the rogues should get out. Today those who screamed rogues are rogues themselves”, Ranasinghe recalled.
But Ranatunga who has now become Ranasinghe’s virtual right hand man, lambasted Wickremasinghe as the country’s patron of rogues as he joined the former Sports Minister in forming the political front.
“The whole country and Parliament wanted the cricket rogues out, but Ranil (Wickremasinghe)said he wants to be neutral for justice.
“The irony is that when the former Sports Minister meted out justice and set up an Interim Committee to run cricket, he was sacked”, said Ranatunga.
