Question #148242

The correct answer is: "have been trying." In this sentence, the subject is "many leading members of the opposition party," which is clearly plural. Therefore, it requires a plural verb. The correct tense here is the present perfect continuous tense — "have been trying" — because it describes an action that started in the past and is still continuing or has effects in the present. The other options are incorrect either because they use a singular verb (like "has tried" or "is trying") or because they use the wrong tense (like "was trying," which refers to a past action that is no longer ongoing). So, "have been trying" is the grammatically correct and contextually appropriate choice.