ECONOMYNEXT – Several ministers and deputy minister of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party will support President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the upcoming elections, dissidents told reporters after its executive committee decided to field its own candidate.
“We will try to get the party’s support for President,” Energy Minister Kanchana Wijeskera, who had earlier come out publicly in support of the President, said after the SLPP made its official decision not to back Wickremesinghe.
“But what we decided today was to support President Wickremesinghe. He is coming as an independent candidate. About 90 percent of the ministers and parliamentarians came to the meeting.
“We are still in the position for the party to take a decision without splitting it.”
RELATED Sri Lanka Podujana Party to field own candidate
SLPP National Organizer Namal Rajapasksa said the party supported Wickremesinghe from 2022 but from now on it will not support him any longer.
“I think as a party we took the best decision,” he said.
Rajapaksa had earlier complained that Wickremesinghe was an expert at splitting parties. Businessman D
Political analysts say some strategists in the SLPP would prefer to the party to be the main opposition with Namal as the opposition leader, if it cannot win the Presidential election.
If the party backed Wickremesinghe the current leadership would lose complete control of the party, they say.
“We discussed how to direct the future elections activities,” legislator S B Dissanayake told reporters after late night meeting at Wickremesinghe’s campaign office.
“I have said always that at this time Ranil Wickremesinghe is the best candidate.”
Dissanayake was one of the rebels who broke away from the then administration in 2001 following a currency crisis triggered by inconsistent monetary policy and backed Wikremesinghe.
“Most Ministers are with the President,” he claimed Monday night. “Except for a handful most deputy ministers support the President. Most MPs also support the President.”
Disciplinary action will be taken against anyone who opposes the decision or decides to contest without the party approval, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said.
“We supported Ranil Wickremesinghe from the Pohottuw earlier, so why can’t we do that now,” State Minister Anupa Pasquel told reporters.
“Everybody should get together to save the country,” State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe said.
Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana who is in charge of the Maharagama area told a public forum that he would support the Wickremesinghe.
Gunwardana said he and 11 others had spoken out against a proposal by SLPP to field its own candidate and wanted to support Wickremesinghe for five years to get the country out of the current crisis.
“Because he has a vision to take country out of the crisis, I am choosing Ranil Wickremesinghe,” Gunarwardana said.