The United National Party (UNP) and a section of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will jointly carry out the President’s election campaign islandwide starting from Matara today afternoon under the theme ‘Ekwa Jayagamu’ (Victory through Unity).
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has yet to announce himself as the common candidate for the scheduled presidential election, will preside over the meeting at the Mahinda Wijesekara playground, named after the father of Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara, who
has taken over the responsibility of organising the first of such meetings.
The UNP’s grassroots machinery has been unable to organise what is expected of them to boost the party leader’s prospects in the forthcoming election.
In most of the districts, it would be a similar case where UNP members would be jointly carrying out campaigns.
In the Kandy district, for instance, former Mayor Kesara Senanayake and ex-Provincial Council member Shanthini Kongahage from the UNP will be jointly campaigning with SLPP State Ministers Dilum Amunugama, Lohan Ratwatte and Parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage.
In the Gampaha district, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga this week summoned a meeting of district politicians. He praised President Wickremesinghe for enabling SLPP members to get back to politics after the anti-government violence that was unleashed against them on May 9, 2022. Minister Ranatunga is set to steer the President’s campaign in the crucial district.