Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa held his first rally since his resignation in the city of Kalutara, in the Western Sinhala province.
In May, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his position as prime minister amidst mass protests against the island’s worst economic crisis since its independence. Earlier this week, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court granted approval for a Fundamental Rights petition which will see an investigation into the role of the Rajapaksa clan in Sri Lanka’s economic collapse.
Read more here: Rajapaksas on trial – Supreme Court orders investigation into financial mismanagement
Despite the widespread protest earlier this month, demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa family, there are increasing reports of the Rajapaksa’s bid to step back into the political limelight. According to the Daily Mirror, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, launching a secretive PR campaign to clear his image and is testing opinion polls in villages.
Speaking at the rally, Mahinda Rajapaksa commented on current President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership stated:
“We scolded Ranil back then. But Ranil is with us now, so we sing his praises. I believe he has chosen the correct path now”.
In attendance at the rally were senior members of the SLPP, including Sri Lanka’s current Prime Minister, and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader, Dinesh Gunawardena. Speakers at the rally reportedly maintained their support for their party’s National Organiser, and former finance minister, Basil Rajapaksa, now in the United States.
The rally in Kalutara is reported to be the first of many that the SLPP intends to hold across the island to rebuild their party’s image.
Read more here.