Secret ballot to choose Opposition Leader?
April 16, 2010 09:48 pm
The post of Opposition Leader in the next Parliament should be chosen by secret ballot, urges Nawa Sihala Urumaya (NSU) head Sarath Manamendra.
Mr. Manamendra’s NSU is a constituent partner of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) which put forward General (retired) Sarath Fonseka as its leader. Fonseka is now under military detention.
The party with the highest number of seats gets to name the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
However Opposition sources point out that since United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has already stated that he would not step down as the party leader right now, there were moves to push for a secret ballot so as to enable those who are unhappy with Mr. Wickremesinghe’s leadership to cast their ballots in favour of Gen. Fonseka.
The new Parliament is to meet on April 22.