COLOMBO — President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he will respond to invitations to contest the 2024 presidential election in due course, while also inviting his opposition rivals to join his efforts to develop Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a rally in Gampaha on Sunday (21), Wickremesinghe said politics should align with the country’s needs.
“The future of our country cannot be determined solely by political agendas. I will not allow that. Politics should align with the country’s needs; otherwise, our country has no future. We must advance as a proud nation, making meaningful changes rather than issuing false promises. The country’s progress should not be driven by political agendas, but by a shared vision for national development,” he said, inviting Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake to join him in this effort and embark on the journey together.
Premadasa, who leads the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) which broke away from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) has already declared his intention to contest the presidential election, as has Dissanayake, the leader of the leftist party National People’s Power (NPP).
An opinion poll for June showed Premadasa’s net favourability rating had increased by 27 points to -39, as head President Wickremesinghe’s by 10 points to -66 to the previous month. However, Dissanayake remained the least unpopular at -20 despite an 18-point drop.
The Gampaha rally was attended by prominent supporters of Wickremesinghe from his own UNP and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which has yet to officially announce its position on backing the president at the polls.
“We have been involved in politics since Universal Franchise was established in 1931. However, after each election, power has been transferred smoothly,” Wickremesinghe said, adding, “We do not point fingers at the Supreme Court; as such a situation is unique to our country. We proudly carry this system forward.”
Stating that Sri Lanka cannot revert to the era of queuing for essentials, he appealed, “Together, let’s build a country where we can all live well.”
-economynext.com
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