SLPP not alarmed by pending court decision on presidential nominee

• MP Anura Yapa says SLPP sure passport issued to Gotabaya Rajapaksa in lawful manner 
• SLPP and its candidate ready for election
• SLPP will continue talks with SLFP
• Confident of getting minority support at poll

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said yesterday that it was confident that the outcome of today’s court decision regarding the dual citizenship of its party’s presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be in their favour.

MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa - Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera

“We are sure that this (issue of the passport) has been done in a lawful matter. We don’t see any reason to be alarmed, or have any contingency plan to fall back on,” SLPP member MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said.

He said that the SLPP and its candidate were ready for the election, and that he would release his manifesto and launch his campaign shortly.

Speaking to reporters, Yapa said that the SLPP was continuing its talks with the SLFP, and was eager to reach an agreement.

“The SLFP cannot come to any agreement with the UNP, because the SLFP members will be against it. The policies of the two parties are very different. The SLFP was started by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike to stand against the UNP’s polices,” he said.

Asked if the SLPP would be able to muster the support of ethnic minorities in the election, the MP said that a large portion of the country’s minorities would support the SLPP.

“Everyone wants to have a peaceful country and an economically powerful country, so everybody can benefit from it. We believe a large number of minorities will vote for us. The economic downturn is felt especially by those in minority communities. Change is imminent and it will definitely happen,” he said.