Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) leader Basil Rajapaksa, alongside former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is set to hold talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe this evening to explore potential political collaborations ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Basil Rajapaksa, returning from the United States, will engage in discussions at a pivotal time when electoral alliances are being forged across parties in anticipation of the impending national elections. Amidst these deliberations, the sequence of elections is also under scrutiny.
A faction within the SLPP, led by MP Nimal Lanza, has already pledged support to the President, organizing rallies nationwide to rally public backing. Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga has echoed the sentiment for SLPP to endorse the President.
Despite these inclinations, the SLPP as an entity has yet to make a formal decision. Previous disagreements surfaced when Mr. Rajapaksa conveyed his dissatisfaction to the President regarding direct engagement with a splinter group within the party.
Insiders reveal that tonight’s meeting aims to address lingering issues, including the sequence of elections, within the backdrop of potential collaboration between the parties involved.