Allies want Rajapaksa to lead coalition in parl elections

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political allies want him to lead the party in the parliamentary elections. “We want him back to lead us in the parliamentary election,” Vasudeva Nanayakkara, the former minister of national integration, told reporters on Monday.
“He is the only leader of national acceptance we have,” Nanayakkara said. President Maithripala Sirisena dethroned Rajapaksa after a bitter presidential poll on January 9.
Rajapaksa, 69, has shunned politics since his defeat despite demands from supporters to make a comeback.
He conceded the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to Sirisena but still remains as the leader of the former ruling coalition United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
“He has the backing of 5.8 million voters,” said Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of National Freedom Front and a staunch Rajapaksa ally. (PTI)