Rajapaksas’ party decides against backing Ranil in presidential election

 

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People’s Front), led by the Rajapaksa family, has announced it will not support President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming presidential elections in September. This decision, made after the party’s central committee meeting on Monday, signals the withdrawal of the Rajapaksas’ backing of Wickremesinghe, two years after they helped him ascend to power following the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022 amid a mass uprising.

Wickremesinghe, who was the United National Party’s (UNP) sole MP after the 2020 general election, was appointed Prime Minister by Gotabaya in May 2022. He then replaced Gotabaya as President following the latter’s resignation, winning a parliamentary vote with SLPP support. While Wickremesinghe received some praise for stabilizing the economy, his close association with the Rajapaksas drew criticism from those seeking a break from their administration, which was marred by corruption and mismanagement. In November 2023, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled that the Rajapaksa brothers (Mahinda, Gotabaya, and Basil) and other officials contributed significantly to the country’s economic crisis but faced no consequences.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam cited disagreements with Wickremesinghe’s policies, especially regarding the privatization of national assets, as the reason for withdrawing support. Kariyawasam did not reveal who the party’s candidate would be, although speculation suggests it may be a non-Rajapaksa for the first time.

Some SLPP members, particularly those in Wickremesinghe’s Cabinet, are expected to remain loyal to him, indicating a potential split within the party. Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the party’s national organizer, blamed Wickremesinghe for dividing the party. He stated on social media that the decision to field their own candidate is a commitment to unity, economic stability, and restoring trust.

Wickremesinghe now relies on his diminished UNP, a faction of the SLPP, and support from minority groups including Tamils, Muslims, and Malaiyaha Tamils. He faces strong competition from Sajith Premadasa, the Leader of the Opposition, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the opposition National People’s Power (NPP) alliance. According to a statement from the President’s office on Tuesday, 92 legislators in the 225-member House have pledged their support to him.