Sagara Kariyawasam, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), announced that Namal Rajapaksa has been nominated as the presidential candidate of the SLPP.
Namal Rajapaksa’s presidential candidacy was announced at the Nelum Mawatha party headquarters this morning (7th).
Many party members, including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, participated in the event.
Although Dhammika Perera was initially announced as the presidential candidate, with the massive landslide in Pohottuwa, the SLPP decided to nominate Namal Rajapaksa to appeal to Mahinda’s voter base, sources in Pohottuwa say.
After Dhammika Perera decided to refrain from contesting in the forthcoming Presidential Election, the SLPP decided to announce the presidential candidate at the party headquarters instead of holding an event.
Dhammika Perera wrote to the Secretary of the SLPP last evening that he would not contest in the forthcoming Presidential Election due to personal reasons.
Many SLPP members left the party following its decision to refrain from supporting President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
