US Ambassador Julie Chung is currently the UNP leaders saviour. They believe she is negotiating with Samagi Jana Balavegaya, Podujana Peramuna, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to secure support for Ranil from all anti-JVP forces. She recently met with the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Maithripala Sirisena, and members of Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The UNP leaders believe she emphasised the danger of the JVP gaining power and the importance of joining forces against the JVP.
Earlier, when the US’s CIA chief came to Sri Lanka, it was reported that Ranil had pointed out intelligence reports about the rise of the JVP. He also used this to postpone the local government elections saying that JVP will win and disrupt the economic reforms.
Ranil is using the rise of JVP as a strategy to scare the Western countries. He is using it to tame Samagi Jana Balavegaya and Podujana Peramuna. He is trying to show the West that he can defeat the JVP if others join forces with him.
JVP, on the other hand, supports Ranil’s strategy. They also want to pit Ranil against the JVP in the next presidential election. If Sajith is in the middle, the JVP knows it will be difficult to win. That is why JVP has launched a massive campaign claiming that Ranil and Sajith are joining forces.
It would not be surprising if Anura and Ranil reached a tacit agreement to divide the two main camps between the two in the presidential election. Previously the two parties had agreed to put forward Fonseka as the common candidate in the 2010 presidential elections and Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate in the 2015 presidential elections.
However, the UNP leaders claim that Julie Chung is intervening to secure support for Ranil’s presidential candidature cannot be believed. When Gotabaya ran for president in 2019, there was some controversy about his American citizenship. Mangala, the campaign manager for Sajith Premadasa, accused Gotabhaya could not withdraw his American citizenship. Despite close ties between Mangala and America, the spokeswoman for the American Embassy in Sri Lanka said she couldn’t comment on Gotabaya’s citizenship.
Gotabhaya benefited from her interview with pro-Gobhaghaya Derana media. The UNP’s dream of electing a UNP candidate with American support came to an end. Nonetheless, Julie Chung has close ties to the JVP. She helped Anra in formalities in his trip to America. She meets Anura frequently and discusses Sri Lankan politics. The JVP would be pleased if she intervened to secure the support of other parties for Ranil’s candidature.
The UNP’s dream of winning elections is to win over foreign embassies rather than local voters. They believe that if they can win America, they can win elections. They believe that by banning Chinese ships for a year, accelerating Indian projects, and sending ships to suppress Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the US will install Ranil as president. Julie Chung’s story surfaces when they dream of this. By this, it is clear that there is no truth in this story.
