Ranil Wickremesinghe

Wickremesinghe Takes Oaths As PM Today

August 21, 2015

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will take oaths as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister for a fourth term today at 10am at the Presidential Secretariat.

Born on March 24, 1949, Wickremesinghe was educated at Royal College, Colombo and then obtained his Bachelor's degree from the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo.

Wickremesinghe entered the Parliament from the Biyagama Electorate in 1977, obtaining 22,045 votes. His main opponent David Hapangama of the SLFP obtained only 15,276 votes.

He was a Cabinet Minister of the UNP government from 1977 to 1993, before being appointed Prime Minister in 1993. He served in this capacity until August 1994.

Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister between December 2001-April 2004 and from January 2015.

The UNP led alliance won 106 seats at the 2015 General Election held on August 17.

Wickremesinghe To Be Sworn In Tomorrow

August 20, 2015

Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to be sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister tomorrow morning, returning to the office for a fourth term. The ceremony will take place at the Presidential Secretariat.

The United National Party (UNP) coalition won 106 seats at the August 17 parliamentary election, just 7 short of a simple majority in the 225-member assembly. However, the SLFP Central Committee gave the power to the President to decide on forming a national government.

Wickremesinghe called on all parties for a system of consensus yesterday.

Meanwhile the Tamil National Alliance has also expressed its support.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Calls For Buddhist Approach: Nikkei

August 20, 2015

Re-elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said that a consensus among Sri Lankan political parties and civil society will be needed to take his policies forward after he officially resumes office in September.

"We want everyone to come out, think for the country, think for the people," he told reporters in his first press conference since his United National Party (UNP) won the highest number of seats in Monday's poll. "We can achieve unity in this country if we work together."

With slightly fewer than the 113 seats needed for a simple majority in the 225-member assembly, the UNP is expected to bring smaller parties into a coalition.

The UNP has ruled from a parliamentary minority since January, when President Maithripala Sirisena unexpectedly became president after defeating is predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Although both Sirisena and Rajapaksa belong to the United People's Freedom Alliance (UFPA), they have become political foes. Indeed, Sirisena's defeat of Rajapaksa in January was helped by the rival UNP.

Rajapaksa, who was first elected president in 2005, called a snap presidential election in January after pushing through constitutional amendments to enable him to run for a third term in office.

Having lost the presidency, Rajapaksa has now also failed in his bid to become prime minister, with UFPA as the main runner-up this week.

Wickremasinghe, 66, hopes to restore friendly relations across party lines, and promote a culture devoid of "divisive politics". After conferring with President Sirisena, the prime minister will present his policies to parliament on Sept. 1.

He has meanwhile invoked the ancient Buddhist Lichhavi approach which advocates dialogue and discussion among all stakeholders to achieve consensus and peaceful co-existence.

Asked if such a spirit of reconciliation extended to Rajapaksa, his former mentor and main political rival, Wickremasinghe said, "It includes everyone."

Rajapaksa defeated Tamil separatists in 2009, bringing an end to a bloody 26-year civil war with the Sinhala majority. Although Tamil votes may have weighed against UFPA's fortunes, Rajapaksa personally secured 423,529 preferential votes, the largest number for any candidate, to secure his place in parliament.

Defeated twice in a year at the ballot box, and out of office, Rajapaksa remains a significant force as Sri Lanka's new leader of the opposition.

(Nikkei Asian Review)

Wickremesinghe Calls On All Parties In Parliament For Government Of Broad Consensus

August 19, 2015

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called upon all parties representing the parliament to form a consensus government.

Giving a special statement at the Temple Trees a short while ago, he said that he will take oaths as the Prime Minister of the next government.

Adding that he met the President following the election, Wickremesinghe said that the new government will not reverse the good governance concept started on January 8.

The UNP won 106 seats in the General Election held on August 17, falling short of a simple majority by seven seats. The UPFA won 95 seats, followed by the TNA with 16 seats, the JVP with 6 seats and the EPDP and the SLMC with one seat each.

Wickremesinghe Fails To Surpass Rajapaksa's Percentage

August 19, 2015

Although Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe received more than 500,000 preference votes from Colombo, he failed to surpass the preferential vote percentage of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 2015 General Election.

Wickremesinghe received 500,566 preferences while the UNP polled 640,743 votes. Thereby, 78 percent of UNP voters gave one preference to Wickremesinghe. Meanwhile, Rajapaksa received 423,529 preferences while the UPFA polled 474,124 votes. The percentage of UPFA voters who gave a preference vote to Rajapaksa was 89 percent.

UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa managed to obtain the preference of 84 percent of UNP voters in Hambantota. Premadasa gained 112,645 preferences while the UNP polled 134,433 votes.

Wickremesinghe Passes 500,000 Preferences From Colombo

August 19, 2015

UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe passed the 500,000 preferential vote mark establishing a new record in Sri Lankan General Elections.

Wickremesinghe received 500,566 preferences while the UNP received 640,743 votes in the district. Therefore, 78 percent of those who voted for the UNP have marked a preference vote for Wickremesinghe.

Colombo is the district with the largest number of registered voters. It send 19 MPs to the parliament. UNP won 11 seats and the UPFA managed to win 7. JVP had to be content with just one seat.

UNP

Ranil Wickremesinghe 500566

Sujeeva Senasinghe 117049

Harsha de Silva 114148

Ravi Karunanayake 111394

Patali Champika Ranawaka 100444

S.M. Marikkar 92,526

Mujibar Rahuman 83,884

Eran Wickremeratne 82,783

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe 81,758

Hirunika Premachandra 70,584

Mano Ganesan 69,064

UPFA

Wimal Weerawansa 313,801

Udaya Gammanpila 198,818

Susil Premajayantha 174,075

Dinesh Gunawardena 124,451

Bandula Gunawardena 96,057

Mohan Lal Grero 65,703

Gamini Lokuge 58,527

JVP

Anura Dissanayake 65,966

Wickremesinghe Claims Victory (FULL STATEMENT)

August 18, 2015

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed victory at the 2015 General Election.

Issuing a statement a short while ago, Wickremesinghe said that the majority has voted to take forward the 'January 8 revolution'. While thanking the people for expressing support for the January 8 election, he added that there was no need to talk about winners and losers any more.

Wickremesinghe also called on the countrymen to build a civilized society, a government of consensus and a new country.

Rajapaksa Votes At Medamulana, Wickremesinghe, Anura Dissanayake In Colombo (PHOTOS)

August 17, 2015

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa casted his vote for the 2015 General Election at Medamulana D. A. Rajapaksa Vidyalaya today.

Meanwhile, UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe casted his vote at the Colombo University. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake casted his vote at Abeysingharamaya, Panchikawatte, Colombo.

Wickremasinghe Warns Of Constitutional Logjam If Rajapaksa Becomes PM

August 15, 2015

As the month-long campaign for the August 17 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections closed this weekend, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned of a constitutional logjam if Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes Prime Minister.

“No Prime Minister can take the country forward while being at loggerheads with the President,” Wickremesinghe said, alluding to the on-going public spat between his rival, former President Rajapaksa, and the incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena.

While Wickremesinghe has good relations with Sirisena, having fought the January 8 Presidential election as allies, Rajapaksa and Sirisena have been at daggers drawn since Sirisena quit his party to fight Rajapaksa as the Joint Opposition Candidate in the Presidential election.

They are fighting over the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and also the Premiership. While Rajapaksa is desperate to become PM, Sirisena has told him that he will not appoint him PM under any circumstance. To weaken Rajapaksa’s hold over UPFA and SLFP, Sirisena has sacked their General Secretaries.

Rebuts Rajapaksa

Rebutting Rajapaksa’s charge that he will yield to the demand of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for a “federal constitution” and eventually “an independent Tamil Eelam”, Wickremesinghe has said that he is only for a “unitary” constitution.

On Rajapaksa’s charge that he has stopped all developmental work started in his time; stopped Chinese-funded projects; and had fallen prey to Western machinations, Wickremesinghe’s has said that all projects, except one, have been reassessed; renegotiated for favorable terms; and restarted. All new highway building contracts have been given to Chinese companies.

As if to rebut the charge that that he will favor India, Wickremesinghe has ordered an inquiry into the US$ 881 million Indian railway project in North Lanka.

On Rajapaksa’s scare that he will be sent to the electric chair abroad for alleged “war crimes”, Wickremesinghe assured that no Lankan will be handed over to foreigners and no international body will be allowed to inquire into war crimes charges.

(The New Indian Express)

Wickremesinghe Praises Most Peaceful Election In History

August 13, 2015

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said that the 2015 parliamentary election is the most peaceful, free and fair election in a long time. The younger people have not witnessed such an election during their lifetime, he added.

Speaking to the media today, Wickremesinghe said that the election laws have been enforced strictly. The Commissioner of Elections determines the rules and takes action. There is media impartiality, he said.

“We got together to preserve the gains of the January 8 revolution. To ensure that good governance was carried on and your future was secured,” he said.

The UNP leader said that they have traveled around country and their joint assessment is that “no one wants Mahinda Rajapaksa.”

“They are confident that the UNF is capable of building a new country and they are willing to give us that chance,” he said.