More key politicians back out from contesting General Election

• Yesterday alone, three key politicians, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, Shehan Semasinghe said they will not contest the GE
• G.L. Peiris will enter Parliament through the SJB national list along with Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Sujeewa Senasinghe and Imthiaz Bakeer Markar
• Three former Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena will not come back to Parliament   
• Dullas Alahapperuma, Nalaka Godahewa denied nominations from SJB alliance while Lakshman Kiriella will not contest   
• Former PM Dinesh Gunawardena, former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will enter through national list under the gas cylinder  

By AJITH SIRIWARDENA   

More key political figures have backed out from contesting the November 14 General Election, marking an end to their parliamentary careers and paving way for the new Parliament to have new faces representing the political parties.   

Yesterday alone, three key politicians, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa and Shehan Semasinghe said they will not contest the upcoming polls, marking an end to their parliamentary politics.   

In a statement, Champika Ranawaka said his political party, the United Republic Front will not contest the General Election claiming that the ‘Samagi Jana Sandanaya’ violated the agreement signed with them on August 14, 2024.   

In a media briefing held in Colombo, Ranawaka, who was a key figure in the SJB alliance said that the UNF was expecting to contest in eleven districts as per the MoU which was signed last month with the ‘Samagi Jana Sandanaya’ during the Presidential election campaign.   

However, he said they realized during the nomination process that their MoU was violated unreasonably and therefore they decided not to field any candidates for the upcoming General Election. “We have informed the SJB in writing that we will not field any candidates,” he said.   

Ranawaka further said the UNF will not join any other camp nor contest alone.   

Wimal Weerawansa, in a separate announcement said that he and his National Freedom Front (NFF) will not contest the General Election, with an excuse that there was a need for the National People’s Power (NPP) government to secure a majority in Parliament.   

Weerawansa said there is no doubt that some opposition forces who are acting on the imperialist agenda intend to see President Anura Kumara Dissanayake end up being a ‘second Gotabaya’ and that the NFF will not be a party to such agendas, putting the country into further crisis.   

He said it is no secret that some hostile foreign forces wanted to incite clashes utilizing the uncertain situation after the Presidential election results and create a situation similar to Bangladesh.   

Former State Minister Shehan Semasinghe from the SLPP also announced that he will not contest the General Election but will not quit politics.   

In a statement, he said that respecting the people’s desire for change in government and Parliament, he had decided not to contest the Nov.14 election but would continue to serve the people of Anuradhapura.   

In the meantime, some senior SLPPers such as Dullas Alahapperuma and Nalaka Godahewa who backed Sajith Premadasa in the Presidential Election, have not been given nominations from the SJB and they have also been denied national list seats, the Daily Mirror learns.   

G.L. Peiris will enter Parliament through the SJB national list along with Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Sujeewa Senasinghe and Imthiaz Bakeer Markar.   

Senior SJBer Lakshman Kiriella will also not contest and will not be considered for a national list seat since his daughter Chamindrani Bandara Kiriella will be contesting from the Kandy District.   

Already senior figures such as former Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena will not contest the General Election, marking an end to their parliamentary careers while other key figures such as Ali Sabry, Chamal Rajapaksa, Bandula Gunawardena, Gamini Lokuge and John Seneviratne have said they too will back out from contesting the General Election.   

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and former Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will enter Parliament through the national list under the gas cylinder symbol.   

In the North, ITAK president Mavai Senathirajah and former Northern Province chief minister C.V. Wigneswaran will not be contesting this time.