COLOMBO — The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is set to contest the upcoming elections, whether presidential or parliamentary, as part of an alliance.
SLPP MP Shantha Bandara, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said although his party holds the biggest vote base in the country compared to other parties, they will contest the upcoming elections as part of an alliance, making the alliance the biggest there is.
He said the party had no apprehensions about winning the next election, whether it be a presidential election or a parliamentary election, but added that the president had informed them quite clearly the next election would be a presidential election.
The SLPP has yet to publicly announce its plans for the presidential election constitutionally mandated to be held between September 17 and October 17 this year.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the United National Party (UNP), heads an SLPP-led government after the ruling party voted for him en masse to elect him president.
However, there have been indications of increased factionalization within the SLPP since then, with a number of cabinet and state ministers vocally expressing their support for Wickremesinghe at the upcoming polls, while other SLPP members have been discussing the possibility of fielding the party’s own candidate. Still others have opted to hold their cards close to their chest and make vague references to announcing the SLPP’s decision when the time is right.
Meanwhile, influential sections of the SLPP including the top-level leadership have been subtly criticizing some of President Wickremesinghe’s ongoing economic reforms, particularly with regard to the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Spokesmen for the UNP, on the other hand, have said Wickremesinghe will be contesting the presidential election as an independent candidate, backed by a grand alliance of various political parties.
The UNP has also hinted at potential crossovers from the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), though these have yet to materialize.
-economynext.com
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