Former President and incumbent Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Patron Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has decided not to support any candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election.
Speaking to a group of SLFP members in Gampaha, she said that certain SLFP members are requesting her to support Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Opposition Leader, Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa. However, she said that she has decided not to support any Presidential candidate.
"I am one of the oldest members and the current patron of the SLFP. During the Presidential Election, SLFP members have the right to support any candidate of their choice. I have no objection to that, but, I will not be supporting anyone," she added. Despite her deciding not to support any candidate, the faction of the SLFP members including Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera, which was being supported by Kumaratunga in the recent past, has already extended their support to incumbent President and independent Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe. The said faction was formed following the interim injunction issued by the Colombo District Court preventing former President and SLFP Chairperson and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the SLFP Chairperson. The relevant plaint against Sirisena was filed by Kumaratunga.
When contacted, a private staff member of Kumaratunga confirmed her (Kumaratunga) decision not to support any Presidential candidate.
In the 2010 Presidential Election, Kumaratunga supported former Army Commander and incumbent Opposition MP, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who was challenging the then President and incumbent Government Parliamentarian, attorney Mahinda Rajapaksa. The 2015 Presidential Election saw her making a significant comeback to the political scene, not as a candidate, but as a key supporter of Sirisena, who left the Government to become the Opposition's common candidate. In the 2019 Presidential Election, although she was less active, Kumaratunga attended some meetings for the then Presidential candidate Premadasa and continued her criticism of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who eventually won the Election but resigned later due to public protests.