Namal Rajapaksa enters Presidential race after Dhammika Perera pulls out

• Dhammika Perera has informed some of the SLPP members that his mother has fallen ill which is why he could not contest the race
• Namal’s candidacy is to be formally announced this morning
• He is to start his campaign immediately

By JAMILA HUSAIN   

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organizer, Namal Rajapaksa will be named as the party’s Presidential candidate today morning following the convening of the SLPP politburo meeting, a senior source from the SLPP told Daily Mirror last evening.   

SLPP Founder Basil Rajapaksa confirmed to Daily Mirror that Namal will be named as the SLPP’s Presidential candidate today morning at 9 a.m. and his campaign will start immediately.   
Political mayhem erupted in the SLPP camp yesterday when casino kingpin Dhammika Perera pulled out of being named as the party’s Presidential candidate at the last minute following rumours that he had been pressured to do so and was likely to join President Ranil Wickremesinghe.   

In a letter sent to the General Secretary of the SLPP, Dhammika Perera said that he pulled out for personal reasons. However, the Daily Mirror learns that Dhammika Perera has informed some of the SLPP members that his mother has fallen ill which is why he could not contest the race. 

The stage was all set to announce Dhammika as the Presidential candidate at 9 a.m. today morning but plans suddenly changed prompting the party to go ahead with naming Namal Rajapaksa as the SLPP candidate.   

Namal himself rushed to Anuradhapura yesterday to seek blessings and will now be elected and named as the Presidential candidate.   

For months Dhammika Perera had been requesting the party to name him as the Presidential candidate considering his business knowledge and financial strength.   

The party higher up had agreed to name him considering that Dhammika could capture the youth’s support following his knowledge on the economy and his possibility of creating job opportunities.   

However, following a last minute u-turn, the next possible candidate, Namal Rajapaksa was immediately pulled in to join the race and will officially contest for the presidency on September 21.   

Namal was one of the members who had voted against supporting Ranil Wickremesinghe at the September 21 Presidential Election and said the SLPP would instead field its own candidate.   

He had remained steadfast that the Pohotuwa would have its own symbol on the ballot paper and accused President Wickremesinghe for bypassing the SLPP Leadership and approaching the MPs direct to gain support.