• ‘Qualified’ person with ‘winning potential’ to be unveiled in the coming days
• Highlights principles of ‘unitary State & anti-privatisation’ 

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will not support President and independent Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe in the forthcoming Presidential Election, SLPP General Secretary and Government Parliamentarian, attorney Sagara Kariyawasam said.

Meanwhile, he said that the Politburo of the SLPP decided to field a Presidential candidate of its own. Furthermore, Kariyawasam expressed that the party will further look into qualified individuals to contest for the Presidency and that the person with the most likelihood to win will officially be named the candidate of the SLPP during the upcoming days.

Speaking to the media, Kariyawasam confirmed that the proposal to field a candidate under the party’s ‘pohottuwa (flower bud)’ logo was passed by a majority of the SLPP Politburo members who met yesterday (29). “The proposal was passed by the majority of the politburo members to field a Presidential candidate under the ‘pohottuwa’ sign,” he said, noting that only a few members opposed the decision. He noted that the candidate has not yet been selected, but assured that the name will be announced in the coming days. He also clarified that the SLPP will not support President Wickremesinghe, emphasising the party’s commitment to presenting its own candidate. “We will not be able to support President Wickremesinghe as it is decided to put a separate candidate from the SLPP,” Kariyawasam stated. He added that disciplinary actions will be taken against any party members who do not adhere to this decision and support other presidential candidates. “It was decided by the politburo to take disciplinary actions against those who do not respect the said decision and support any other presidential candidate apart from the one who is put forward by the party,” he added. Kariyawasam also explained that the decision to field a separate candidate aligns with the SLPP’s founding principles, which include maintaining a unitary state and opposing the privatisation of national assets. “Our founding principles, such as a unitary country and opposition to the privatisation of national assets, inspired the party to field a separate candidate,” he elaborated.