SJB and JVP to make an interim government under the premiership of Karu Jayasuriya
In a series of public rallies and speeches last week, both the JVP and the SJB have been issuing ultimatums, calling upon the Ranil-Rajapaksa government to step down and hand over the government to their respective alliances in parliament. Neither ultimatum is a response to Ranil Wickremesinghe’s hint at being full-term PM, i.e., continuing as PM for the remainder of the term of the current parliament. Rather, the JVP and the SJB seem convinced that nothing much is going to change under Ranil Wickremesinghe, and now is their time to step in and lead an interim government. Neither party has the numbers to do anything in parliament. The JVP has three and the SJB 54, but their unstated logic might be that if Ranil Wickremesinghe could become Prime Minister leading only himself as a nominated MP, why not they? Their stronger argument is the failure of the current interim Prime Minister to show even some results or changes on the ground.