The leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), former President Mahinda Rajapaksa claims that the party received the exact number of votes they had expected.
Speaking to the media today (16), he expressed that the victory of the National People’s Power (NPP) is a positive development, noting that freshers should be given the opportunity to see if they can succeed.
Commenting on the significant rise of the NPP from 3% of total votes in the previous general election to 61%, the former President said: “It is the people of this country who voted, not outsiders. I think we should respect the public mandate… Maybe [they will] succeed, maybe [they will] collapse.”
In response to a question raised by a journalist, Rajapaksa also added that the SLPP will never give up and that he will not retire from politics, asking, “Which politician retires from politics?”
Furthermore, he confirmed that no discussions are currently ongoing with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the future politics of the party.
When asked about his thoughts on what happened to Wickremesinghe in the recent elections, Rajapaksa said: “I’m feeling so sorry for him, that’s all.”