Rajapaksa Party to Field Own Candidate in Sri Lanka's Presidential Election

Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa family's political party has chosen not to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe for re-election, opting instead to field its own candidate for the September 21 presidential election. This decision ends speculation about Wickremesinghe receiving their support despite their previous backing for his interim presidency in 2022.

The political party linked to Sri Lanka's prominent Rajapaksa family announced on Monday it will not support President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming presidential election, instead fielding their own candidate. This marks a significant setback for Wickremesinghe's re-election campaign.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam revealed that the party's Politburo decided to nominate their own candidate, using the flower bud symbol.

This decision derails Wickremesinghe's hopes of gaining cross-party support to continue his economic reforms. The SLPP had previously supported his interim presidency following Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation in 2022.