• SLPP Gen. Secy. explains reasons for denial of support at Prez Poll including lack of prior consultation on contesting 

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stated that it decided not to support President and independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election due to reasons such as continuing to work against the SLPP's policies and not having any prior discussions with the SLPP about running for the Presidential Election.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (30), the SLPP General Secretary and Government Parliamentarian, attorney Sagara Kariyawasam said that when Wickremesinghe became the President, he (Wickremesinghe) had a 'bankrupt Party' with only one Parliamentary seat (a reference to the United National Party which Wickremesinghe leads). During the discussions that we had with Wickremesinghe at the time, he (Kariyawasam) said that the SLPP had requested that he (Wickremesinghe) advance the SLPP's programme.

 "Upon becoming the President with our support, his first action was to call an all-party conference and declare that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution should be fully implemented. We reminded him that he did not become the President to pursue such actions; and that he was handed over the mandate that was given to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to maintain a united country. We opposed the preparation to fully implement the 13th Amendment. We also disagreed with his decisions to sell off national resources." 

Noting that the SLPP continued to disagree over such moves by President Wickremesinghe, Kariyawasam said that he (Wickremesinghe) however did not change his stance. "Eventually, we suggested that he discuss with the Party about contesting the Presidential Election. We informed him that the SLPP would not support him if he didn’t do so, but, he only sought our support after depositing the bail money. It is due to these reasons that we decided not to support him in the Presidential Election and to field a separate candidate."

The Politburo of the SLPP which met at the official residence of former President and incumbent SLPP Leader and Government MP, attorney Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, decided to field a Presidential candidate of its own instead of supporting Wickremesinghe. The SLPP expressed that they would further look into qualified individuals to contest for the Presidential Election and that the person with the most likelihood to win would officially be named the SLPP's Presidential candidate in the coming days. However, a significant number of SLPP members including Cabinet and State Ministers and MPs have already expressed their support to Wickremesinghe.