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RW to be a broad alliance-backed candidate at poll: UNP
ECONOMYNEXT— President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest Sri Lanka’s upcoming presidential election as an independent candidate backed by a broad alliance, according to Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara.
The minister said at an event that Wickremesinghe’s candidacy will be a neutral one not representing any one party.
“President Wickremesinghe will contest as an independent national candidate on a common platform where people representing all parties, ethnicities and religions as well as people with diverse views can come together, He will once again become president of this country,” said Nanayakkara.
Former parliamentarian P Harrison, a spokesman for Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP), made the bold claim that he will get 10 million votes at the presidential poll due to be held between September 17 and October 17.
Harrison also took a shot at the leftist NPP/JVP, which according to some polls, is strongly ahead of any other contender including the president and the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
“The JVP thinks that their three plus percent has climbed up to 80 percent. For that to happen, all of us will have to vote for them. That will not be the case. If you take the whole country, at the most, their three percent will go up to no more than five or 10 percent,” said Harrison.
He was referring to the slightly over three percent of the vote the NPP polled at the last two national elections in 2019 and 2020.
Harrison also suggested that Wickremesinghe can expect the support of some of his apparent rivals. “He will be the common candidate. A section of the SJB will also join him,” he said.
Predictions of SJB members joining the UNP en masse have so far come to nought, according to MP Chandima Weerakkody who recently joined the main opposition party.
“They said 35 will go, 40 will go, that they will go on March 8. They gave different dates. The UNP held two conventions. Because no one joined the first one, they said it would happen in the second. No one came,” said Weerakkody.
“No one who was elected by the people and does not yield to money will not take such a decision. The UNP is a party that only got 150,000 to 200,000 votes. Can a party like that poll 7.5 million votes?” he asked.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Prime Minister to recruit 2,284 to the government service as per the recommendations of the ‘Committee appointed to review the recruitment process of the Government Service at its meeting held on 14.11.2025.
1. Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education 196
2. Ministry of Health and Mass Media 480
3. Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and
Local Governments 04
4. Ministry of Finance, Policy Planning and Economic
Development 19
5. Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development 778
6. Ministry of Justice and National Integration 222
7. Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development 107
8. Ministry of Defense 73
9. Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources 20
10. Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs 21
11. Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development 36
12. Ministry of Buddha Shasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
04
13. Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure
Facilities 02
14. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation 74
15. Western Provincial Council 230
16. Uva Provincial Council 08
17. North Western Provincial Council 08
18. Finance Commission 02
Latest News
Cabinet green light to obtain a grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund for post – disaster relief and rehabilitation activities
On a request made by the government of Sri Lanka, the Asian Development Bank has given its concurrence to provide a grant of United States dollars 3 million under Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund.
It is expected to supply materials required for providing essential life security services for the communities affected, from the said grant.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the President as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to enter into the relevant agreements with the Asian Development Bank to obtain the said grant.
Business
Cabinet approves establishment of two 50 MW wind power stations in Mullikulum, Mannar region
Adhering to the broad plan of the Government to reach the objective of accomplishing 70% of the country’s electricity supply from renewable energy sources by the year 2030, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted on 10.02.2025 to invite requests for resolutions from interested developers of the private sector in order to implement the Mullikulum Wind Power – 100 Mega Watts (two (02) wind power stations of
50 Mega Watts each) on the basis of construction, ownership and execution with a monitoring period of 20 years.
Accordingly, requests for proposals have been called to implement the relevant project by adhering to the international competitive bidding methodology, and seven (7) prospective project proposals were submitted.
Evaluating the said proposals, based on the recommendations submitted by the negotiation committee appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Power to award the contracts of establishing the two (02) 50 Mega Watts Wind
Power Stations to Consortium of Vidullanka PLC & David Pieris Motor Company (Lanka) Limited and WindForce PLC.
Cabinet approves recruitment of 2,284 to government service
Cabinet green light to obtain a grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund for post – disaster relief and rehabilitation activities
Cabinet approves establishment of two 50 MW wind power stations in Mullikulum, Mannar region
Cabinet approves the purchase of vehicles to improve the primary health care system across the island
Cabinet approves the transfer of the constructions and land reserved for the Kiinniya University to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism
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