Meet Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, a key figure in Sri Lanka political standoff

If, as Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, Jayasuriya had wavered even for a second, the leader of the joint opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa, would have been PM, both de facto and de jure

Politics in Sri Lanka is poised at a critical cusp. One of the men steering events is the Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya.  

Just consider. If, as Speaker, Jayasuriya had wavered even for a second, the leader of the joint opposition, Mahinda Rajapaksa, would have been prime minister, both de facto and de jure. If Jayasuriya had given MPs the slightest nudge, they would have scurried to the Rajapaksa fold in droves (some did nevertheless, and most returned). And if he had not exercised his authority to enforce a voice vote that confirmed that 122 MPs out of