- Gen. Secy. Rangebandara claims decision unanimous
- Working Comm. action plan targeting poll to be followed
President and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to become the presidential candidate of a coalition led by the UNP and the party is to work on an action plan drafted by its Working Committee ahead of the next Presidential Election, said UNP General Secretary Palitha Rangebandara.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (27) following a meeting held at the party’s headquarters with the President and several other UNP senior members, he said that President Wickremesinghe had approved the aforementioned action plan prepared by the party’s senior leaders and asked to implement it in accordance with the ongoing situation in the political arena.
However, when he was queried as to whether any discussion had taken place regarding the formation of a coalition with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Rangebandara said that while a coalition will definitely be formed, no decision had yet been made whether it (UNP) would join the SLPP to contest in future elections. “No such discussion was held. But it is confirmed that the incumbent President will contest the Presidential Election representing the UNP. We are happy to say that no one in the party who attended the meeting raised any objection in this regard. Our main objective was to discuss how we should prepare for the election,” he said.
This meeting was held following the special statement made by President Wickremesinghe in Parliament last week, where he said that both the Presidential and General Elections are scheduled to take place next year (2024). President Wickremesinghe also stated that the Provincial Councils and Local Government Authorities Elections could be expected in the following year (2025).
Meanwhile, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told the media last week that the forthcoming Presidential Election is slated to take place on a date between 16 September and 17 October 2024. He also stated that the specific date for the election would be decided and officially announced in July (as per the two months’ advance notice prior to the commencement of the stipulated election period).