evidence: This seeming reluctance on the part of Ranil has enabled his opponents to attack him on two coints. One was to allege that Ranil was afraid to face elections because he would lose and therefore will not contest polls. The other was to accuse Wickremesinghe of conspiring to put off the presidential elections and remain in power as president "by hook or by crook". [...] Chief among them was former cabinet minister Ravi Karunanayake. It is an open secret in UNP circles that Ravi has been eyeing the Gen secy post held by Range for long. Ravi Karunanayake told the "Daily Mirror." "It was nothing but a personal statement by Range Bandara. This is not the decision of the President," Karunanayake asserted that the presidential election would be held as scheduled in October, followed by the general election. [...] This article appears in the "DBS Jeyaraj Column "of the "Daily Mirror"dated 1st June 2024.It can be accessed here – https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Range-Bandaras-Loud-Thinking-and-Ranils-election-campaign/172-283848 **************************************************************