MR says public calls for Gota to be candidate being considered

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says public calls for his brother to be considered as the Presidential candidate of the Joint Opposition at the next Presidential Elections is being considered.

Responding to a question posed by a journalist over the growing public support for former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to be Presidential candidate, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he was aware of the support Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has.

Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the public opinion on Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is being considered.

Meanwhile, the former President also dismissed reports of a rift between him and his brothers.

He insisted there was no “power struggle” between his brothers and that such claims are being made by the very people who accused him of running the country with his brothers as a business.

Mahinda Rajapaksa said that it is not just the Rajapaksas who are in the Joint Opposition, but several other politicians as well.

He said that there are some good political figures in the Joint Opposition, unlike in the Government. (Colombo Gazette)