Update - Ranil, Dullas and Anura to contest for presidency tomorrow

Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Dullas Alahapperuma and National People's Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake have put forward their names for the presidency. 

Accordingly, Parliament will hold a secret ballot tomorrow (20) to elect the country's President. 

Mr Alahapperuma's name was proposed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and seconded by SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris. 

In a clear sign of a split within the SLPP, Mr Wickremesinghe's name was proposed by Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena. It was seconded by SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara, who had earlier accepted a ministerial post under then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Mr Dissanayake's name was proposed by NPP MP Vijitha Herath and seconded by NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. 

Earlier, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who had earlier announced his candidature from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy, with the SJB deciding to support Dullas Alahapperuma. 

"For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of President. @sjbsrilanka and our alliance and our opposition partners will work hard towards making  @DullasOfficial victorious," Mr Premadasa said on Twitter. 

Parliament convened at 10am today to accept nominations for the office of the President. Today was reserved only for accepting nominations for the presidency. 

A three-cornered contest will be witnessed at Wedneday’s vote to elect a new President for the next 28 months of the President term.

A brief profile on the three candidates:

Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremsinghe, at present the Acting President of Sri Lanka started his Political careers in mid 1970s with United Nations Party as soon as he Graduated from The Faculty of Law of University of Ceylon(Colombo).

He started off as the Chief Organizer of the Keleniya Electorate and later was appointed as the Chief Organizer of the Biyagama Electorate, which he won the Parliamentary Elections in 1977 and entered Parliament as a debutant.

Later his progressed as a Minister for several Ministries and initiated the National Youth Guard and National Youth Services Council (NYSCO),  which provides vocational and career training to school leavers.

For the first time he sworn in as the Prime Minister in 1993 after former President Ranasinghe Premeadasa’s demise.  Since then has been sworn in as prime minister the most times in the country's history, on six occasions. Accordingly he has been  sworn in as the premier in 1993,2001,2015 (January and August), 2018,2022.

Dullas Alahapperuma

Dullas Daham Kumara Alahapperuma was born in Dickwella, Matara and received his education from St. Servatius’s College,Matara and Ananda College,Colombo.

He started his career as Journalist from his school days and he joined ‘Lakmina’ a weekly tabloid and then ‘Lakdiva’ a Sinhala weekly tabloid.

Mr.Alahapperuma entered the Parliament in 1994 after topping the Matara preferential vote as People’s Alliance Candidate and he got re-elected in 2000 and served in the short tenure of 11th Parliament.

He served as deputy minister for several ministries in 2000 and in 2007 was named as a Cabinet Minister . He continued his long run in politics where he is now contesting for the President Elections in the Parliament on the 20th of July

Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake who is contesting for presidency tomorrow was born and did his formal education in Anuradhapura and later he graduated from University of Kelaniya before entering the Parliament in 2000.

He was later appointed as the Minister for Agriculture,Livestock,Land and Irrigation in 2004 under the Joint Government between UPFA and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) where Chandrika Kumaratunga was the President at that period.

He became the Leader of JVP on February 2nd in 2014 and then later he contested Presidential elections in 2019 for JVP where he could only secure 3.16% of votes ranking third according to the obtained votes.