MR says their withdrawal from politics is temporary

‘SLPP can easily win general election’

Former President and SLPP Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the Rajapaksas have made what he calls a temporary withdrawal from politics and that should not be mistaken for retirement.

The ex-President said so in response to media queries during a brief interaction with journalists in Colombo yesterday (16). Rajapaksa was responding to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent declaration that the presidential election outcome had resulted in some politicians’ retirement. Addressing those contesting the forthcoming parliamentary polls on the NPP ticket, Dissanayake said that in politics no one retired. They either were defeated or passed away.

Rajapaksa said that the SLPP could secure an easy win during the 2024 parliamentary election. According to him a simple majority or, in other words, 113 seats could be secured without difficulty.

He pointed out that not all Rajapaksas had refrained from contesting the general election as Shashindra Rajapaksa was contesting from the Moneragala District.

Former parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa is on the SLPP National List. Namal Rajapaksa polled only 342,781 (2.57%) in the last presidential election.