evidence: During a special address in Parliament, Thalatha Athukorala, who entered Parliament in 2004 after the untimely passing of her brother, United National Party (UNP) stalwart Gamini Athukorala, questioned Sajith Premadasa’s leadership qualities and his suitability to lead the country at this critical time. [...] She emphasised that she held no personal grudge against Premadasa but questioned whether his refusal to collaborate stemmed from a desire to become President too quickly. Athukorala implied that Premadasa lacked the maturity needed for leadership and seemed indifferent to public criticism. She noted that there appeared to be no self-reflection on whether the timing was right, the potential detrimental effects, or whether he possessed the qualities necessary for leadership at this time. Instead, she suggested that Premadasa was driven solely by the ambition to become Sri Lanka’s leader.