Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) expressed its confidence today (13) that its presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa will win the upcoming presidential election by a margin of at least ten per cent.
Addressing a press conference at the Kingsbury Colombo this morning, SLPP architect Basil Rajapaksa said that rival candidate Sajith Premadasa will receive the lowest percentage of votes ever received by a runner-up candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election history.
“We are sure our candidate will win by a margin of ten per cent votes, minimum. Out of the nine provinces, we will definitely win seven. We will also win more than 120 electorates. Yesterday we witnessed the last full moon (Poya) under the present government. The next full moon will rise under a government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” said Rajapaksa.
Asked whether it is not hypocritical of the SLPP to accuse the government of a slanted foreign policy when Basil Rajapaksa, himself an American citizen, is leading the party’s presidential campaign, Rajapaksa responded that his “heart is Sri Lankan”.
“More than winning, we believe in our people. The people need a change. In January 2015, people elected the present government with high expectations but all their hopes were destroyed. That is why we say that victory is necessary. It will not be limited to a particular race or religion,” he said.