City
Epaper

Sirisena to continue in active politics after term ends

By IANS | Updated: October 29, 2019 12:30 IST

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena has said that he would continue in active politics after his term in office was slated to end with the election of his successor following the November 16 election.

Open in App

"I prefer active politics to a life of retirement," the Daily Financial Times quoted the President as saying on Twitter on Monday evening.

Sirisena's term will end in January 2020.

This was the clearest indication that Sirisena has planned to enter Parliament through the National List at the end of his term as has been speculated for days.

Meanwhile, an agreement between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna's (SLPP), headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the Sirisena-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), to form an alliance called the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya will be signed on Thursday.

Sirisena and Rajapaksa will be named co-leaders of the party.

A record 35 candidates have filed their nominations for the island nation's eighth presidential election.

Of the 35 hopefuls, SLPP's Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the ruling United National Party's (UNP) Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, who is contesting as the National Democratic Front (NDF) contender, have emerged as the two favourites.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as the Defence Minister in his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration, oversaw the end of Sri Lanka's brutal 25-year civil war in 2009.

Premadasa is the son of late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who ruled the country with an iron fist before he was assassinated by a Tamil suicide bomber on May 1, 1993.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: sirisenaMahinda RajapaksaSri LankaGotabaya RajapaksaRanasinghe Premadasa
Open in App

Related Stories

CricketAsia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka Begin Campaign With 6-Wicket Win Over Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi

CricketBAN vs SL 2025 Live Streaming: Head-to-Head Record, When and Where to Watch Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Clash

CricketBAN vs SL, Asia Cup 2025: Probable Playing XI, Pitch Report and Weather Update

EntertainmentVijay Varma Spotted at Airport in Dashing New Look as He Heads to Sri Lanka for Shoot of New Project

CricketSri Lanka's Angelo Mathews Announces Test Retirement; 37-Year Old To Continue Playing ODIs and T20Is

International Realted Stories

InternationalPM Modi expresses condolences on demise of Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh

InternationalEAM Jaishankar holds series of bilateral interactions on UNGA sidelines

International"I'm waiting in the street": Macron stuck due to presidential convoy in New York, calls Trump

International"Rights of developing countries under challenge," EAM Jaishankar at Like-Minded Global South Countries' meet

InternationalEAM Jaishankar proposes multi-pronged Global South strategy to tackle challenges