{"id":84452,"date":"2024-07-30T00:45:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T04:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=84452"},"modified":"2024-07-30T21:37:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T01:37:13","slug":"rajapaksa-led-slpp-decides-not-to-back-ranil-wickremesinghe-in-the-2024-presidential-election-despite-withdrawal-of-support-by-slpp-92-out-of-225-mps-pledge-support-to-wickremesinghe-says-pr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=84452","title":{"rendered":"Rajapaksa led SLPP Decides Not to Back Ranil Wickremesinghe in the 2024 Presidential Election. Despite Withdrawal of Support by SLPP, 92 out of 225 MPs Pledge Support to Wickremesinghe says President\u2019s Office"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nBy<\/p>\n

Meera Srinivasan<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People\u2019s Front) \u2014 led by the once-powerful Rajapaksa clan which was deposed from power in 2022 \u2014 has said it will not back President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presidential polls in September.<\/p>\n

The decision, announced after the party\u2019s central committee\u2019s meeting on Monday, marks the withdrawal of the Rajapaksas\u2019 support to Mr. Wickremesinghe, two years after they helped him rise to the country\u2019s most powerful office. He replaced former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned in July 2022, in the wake of a mass uprising that blamed him chiefly for the country\u2019s dramatic economic crash.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Mr. Wickremesinghe was the United National Party\u2019s (UNP) lone MP in parliament, following his party\u2019s poll debacle in the 2020 general election. In May 2022, Mr. Gotabaya appointed him Prime Minister, in place of Mr. Mahinda, who resigned amid the surging protests. After Mr. Gotabaya stepped down in July 2022, Mr. Wickremesinghe won an urgent parliamentary vote with the SLPP\u2019s support, and has since relied on it to pass several legislations.<\/p>\n

While Mr. Wickremesinghe earned praise from some for taking over the country\u2019s leadership at a critical time, and \u201cstabilising\u201d its battered economy, his dependence on and association with the Rajapaksas have drawn criticism from those who sought a clean break from the Rajapaksa administration tainted by allegations of corruption and mismanagement. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In November 2023, Sri Lanka\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that the Rajapaksa brothers (Mr. Mahinda, Mr. Gotabaya and Mr. Basil), along with other top officials in their government [2019 to 2022] \u201cdemonstrably contributed to\u201d the country\u2019s devastating economic crisis and violated \u201cpublic trust\u201d, but they faced no consequence.<\/p>\n

On their party\u2019s poll-time decision, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said Mr. Wickremesinghe\u2019s policies were not agreeable to members. \u201cFor instance, our party has a position on whether and how to go about privatising national assets. But the President does not care about national assets or the underprivileged people of this country,\u201d he told The Hindu on Tuesday. <\/p>\n

Asked about the candidate the party would field, Mr. Kariyawasam said: \u201cThat decision has not been taken as yet,\u201d amid wide speculation that a non-Rajapaksa may be nominated for the first time.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, some SLPP members, especially those who are part of Mr. Wickremesinghe\u2019s Cabinet, are expected to stay with him in the coming election, signalling a virtual split in the SLPP.
\nNamal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the party\u2019s national organiser, has blamed Mr. Wickremesinghe for dividing the party that backed him over the last two years. <\/p>\n

Following Monday\u2019s decision, Mr. Namal, a parliamentarian from the southern Hambantota district, said on the social media platform \u2018X\u2019: \u201cWith our decision to field our own candidate, we acknowledge past challenges and commit to unity, economic stability, and restoring trust.\u201d <\/p>\n

For now, this leaves Mr. Wickremesinghe with what remains of his UNP \u2014its breakaway faction, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB or United People\u2019s Force), is the main opposition party \u2014 a faction of the SLPP, and certain other backers, including from parties representing the island nation\u2019s minority Tamils, Muslims, and Malaiyaha (hill country) Tamils.<\/p>\n

Contesting this election as an independent candidate, Mr. Wickremesinghe faces at least two strong challengers in Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who leads the opposition National People\u2019s Power (NPP) alliance.
\nIn a media statement on Tuesday evening, the President\u2019s office said 92 legislators, of the 225-member House, pledged their support to him. <\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Hindu <\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Meera Srinivasan The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People\u2019s Front) \u2014 led by the once-powerful Rajapaksa clan which was deposed from power in 2022 \u2014 has said it will not back President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presidential polls in September. The decision, announced after the party\u2019s central committee\u2019s meeting on Monday, marks the …<\/p>\n

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