Clad in a white dhoti and a maroon shirt, the trademark redbrown scarf draped around his neck, Namal Rajapaksa enters the Sri Lanka Foundation building near the Independence Square in Colombo. He appears confident, despite the fact that he is fighting a losing battle in the presidential election. He has come to attend the signing of an agreement between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to support him. After the signing ceremony, he spoke exclusively with THE WEEK, explaining the reasons behind his decision to contest, despite the loss of popular support for the SLPP. Excerpts from the interview:
Q/ Why did you decide to contest? Earlier it was said that the billionaire businessman Dhammika Perera would be your candidate.
This story is from the September 22, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the September 22, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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