Prez poll: SLPP to announce candidate in mid-July

SLPP MP Sanjiva Edirimanna says the ruling party will announce its presidential candidate in mid-July.

The Kalutara District MP said that there were several SLPP members interested in contesting the presidential poll, under the SLPP symbol. “We’ll make the announcement in mid-July,” Edirimanna said soon after the opening of their new election operations centre of the party.

Edirimanna told The Island that the party had delayed the announcement of its presidential candidate until the Election Commission made an official announcement on the presidential polls.

However, political sources said that the SLPP had been compelled to delay the announcement in the absence of an understanding with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa has had five rounds of talks with the President in the recent past but was not able to convince the UNP leader to call parliamentary polls ahead of the presidential election. (SF)