MR indicates intention to contest 2019 Presidential elections in interview

In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has indicated his intention to contest the election in 2019 on the SLPP ticket, vowing to fight the restrictions in the 19 th Amendment in courts.

“I will lead the SLPP. There is a view that despite the Amendment I can fight elections and then fight it out in courts,” he had said. The former President has cited that his fray into politics at the upcoming election would have to be a calculated risk.

“But I still have to decide whether to take that risk. Another option is to announce a candidate acceptable to all.”

He however ruled out the possibility of his eldest son Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa’s chance at the election stating that since the revision of the age limit,Namal cannot be considered for the 2019 elections.

Without indicating a name, the former President however did add that his “brother is certainly a contender, but the party and the coalition will have to decide who the people want.”

Referring to their win at the local elections in 2018, he said that the party chaired by Prof. G.L Peiris had secured 71 percent of the seats adding that rumours of him representing only Sinhala-Buddhist majoritariansim was a canard spread by his opponents.

 

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