Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says his brother, not his son, will be a likely candidate at the next Presidential elections.
Rajapaksa, who is on a visit to India, has told The Hindu, in an interview, that he will lead the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the next Presidential elections.
According to him, if he is unable to contest the election owing to the 19th Amendment then the Joint Opposition will pick another candidate.
“There is a view that despite the Amendment I can fight elections and then fight it out in court. But I still have to decide whether to take that risk. Another option is to announce a candidate acceptable to all. My son (Namal Rajapaksa) can’t be a presidential candidate since they have now raised the minimum age to 35 years, instead of 30, so he can’t be considered in 2019. My brother is certainly a contender, but the party and the coalition will have to decide who the people want,” Rajapaksa has said.