(Reuters)
COLOMBO, July 29 – Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe failed on Monday to secure the backing of the biggest political party in parliament for his re-election bid, posing a major challenge to his prospects in the Sept.21 vote.
Nearly 17 million of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population is eligible to cast its ballots in the vote that is crucial to determine the future of reforms in the South Asian island nation weathering its worst financial crisis in decades.
Of the multiple candidates, Wickremesinghe, who took over the top job in July 2022 as the economy crumbled under a severe financial crisis triggered by a record shortfall of foreign exchange reserves, is seen as the most market- and reform-friendly option.
But with just one seat in parliament, he needs the support of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which holds a parliamentary majority and counts former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother as key members, to be a stronger contender.
“The politburo decided by a significant majority that Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna will present a candidate under the SLPP party symbol,” SLPP General Secretary Salaga Kariyawasam told reporters after the party’s politburo meeting.
The SLPP candidate would be announced in the next few days, Kariyawasam added.
There was no immediate comment from Wickremesinghe or his office in response to the SLPP decision.
