Rajapaksas’ party not to support incumbent Wickremesinghe in Sri Lanka’s presidential election

Colombo, Jul 29 (PTI) The political party of Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa family on Monday decided not to back President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the September 21 presidential election, in a setback to his bid to return to power.
     The General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Sagara Kariyawasam told reporters, “The party’s Politburo which met today has decided to field our own candidate under its own symbol.”
     He said despite views to the contrary made by several members, the consensus was that the party should field its own candidate.
     “Anyone who will defy this will face disciplinary action,” Kariyawasam said. He said their candidate would be named in due course.
     This has officially ended speculation that Wickremesinghe, 75, would receive the support of SLPP despite them supporting him in becoming the stop-gap president after the stepping down of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022.
     Wickremesinghe has already publicly expressed his intent to contest the election as an independent and has paid his deposit.
     He was banking on cross-patty support to his candidacy pledging to continue his economic reform programme in the island nation which was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022.
     Also on Monday, Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Wijeyedasa Rajapakshe said that he has resigned from his position to contest the presidential election.
     Rajapakshe, 65, became the second member of the cabinet to declare himself a candidate after President Wickremesinghe announced his intention to contest the election last Friday.
     "I have resigned from my ministry to contest the election. I will be doing so under a new front which will be announced soon,” he said.
     Last week, Rajapakshe announced his candidacy for the presidential election.
     At the time, speaking to the media, he said under his leadership, measures will be taken to resolve issues in several sectors, with a focus on development.
     He further expressed confidence that the National Election Commission will act independently and as per the Constitution concerning the upcoming elections.
     Rajapakshe has the backing of former president Maithripala Sirisena who leads a faction of the Freedom Party which is deeply mired in a legal wrangle.
     Sri Lanka will hold the presidential poll on September 21, a contest which is likely to determine the future of economic reforms in the cash-strapped country.
     This will be the first election to be held in Sri Lanka after it plunged into economic bankruptcy in 2022.
     Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka's former Army chief and the architect of the military offensive that led to the annihilation of the LTTE, on Thursday formally declared his candidacy for the election.
     The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa and Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are also vying for the post.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)