Politics is a game of grit and character: Ranil

Politics is a hard game and it needs teamwork while one has to have the stamina to play it, the outgoing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said after leaving Temple Trees yesterday.

“Politics is more than chess. It is teamwork like cricket. You must have the stamina for a marathon. You must remember it is a hard game like rugby and it is a blood sport like boxing,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said in his Twitter message which he posted several hours after having resigned from the Prime Minister’s post and left Temple Trees.

Mr. Wickremesinghe had to resign little less than one year after he was re-instated following dismissal on October 26, 2018. He was ousted by the former President Maithripala Sirisena on October 26 last year who then appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister.

He stayed on at Temple Trees claiming that he cannot be thrown out as he still commanded a majority in the House. Mr. Wickremesinghe came back after proving that he could command a majority in parliament after Mr. Rajapaksa resigned from the post.(Yohan Perera)