Lanka Citizen

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Political sources said that to gain the upper hand. The sources speculated that the UNP and an influential section of the ruling coalition discussed a power sharing arrangement in the event of a Wickremesinghe victory. This was part of the strategy to isolate Rajapakse and the JVP, the sources said. “They almost succeeded,” a well informed politician said claiming that the denying the state media to the incumbent Prime Minister was key to this plan. The threat of the dissolution of parliament, too, affected Rajapakse’s campaign, he said, claiming that the UNP expected Kumaratunga to jeopardise the premier’s chances at her last address to the nation which was not to be. The Island learns that at one point there was a move to prevent the deployment of polling agents to represent Rajapakse. “This would have facilitated the opponents’ strategy.”

UNP sources dismissed the notion that there would be a leadership change in the event of Wickremesinghe losing Thursday’s poll. Speculation is rife that there were two factions with one faction planning to have the imprisoned MP S.B.Dissanayake as its General Secretary. The other faction is believed to have chosen a former party strongman as its General Secretary.

courtesy The Island