Dilan says SLFP will promote Mahinda at polls

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) says it is ready to promote former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the next Parliamentary election.

SLFP Spokesman and United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Dilan Perera said that Rajapaksa has not said he wanted to be the prime ministerial candidate of the UPFA but wanted to contest the polls.

Perera said that the SLFP believes Rajapaksa is popular these days and should be promoted in order for the UPFA to win the elections.

The former Minister recalled that in 1994 the then People’s Alliance (PA) had promoted Chandrika Kumaratunga and won the election.

“Today there is huge support for Mahinda Rajapaksa so we must market him at the polls,” he said. Perera said that the United National Party under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was having cold feet after hearing that Rajapaksa would contest the polls. “Ranil Wickremesinghe is not someone who can be placed in the market and that is why he did not contest at the last two presidential elections,” Perera added.

Perera challenged the UNP to go for an election under a new electoral system and added that the SLFP under the UPFA was prepared to face the election. 

(Colombo Gazette)