Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that he has no intention of retiring from politics. Speaking to the media, he explained that the Rajapaksa family has only taken a temporary break from the political scene. In response to questions from journalists, he stated, "This is just a brief pause...... A politician never truly retires."
Commenting on the upcoming election, Rajapaksa expressed confidence that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) would win the 2024 Parliamentary Election with ease. He also pointed out that not all members of the Rajapaksa family have stepped back from contesting, as Shashindra Rajapaksa is running for election in the Moneragala District.
Despite the political dominance the Rajapaksa brothers once held, none of them will participate in the general elections next month, following their removal from power in 2022. As nominations for the November 14 parliamentary elections closed on October 11, the SLPP candidate list revealed that Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chamal Rajapaksa, and Basil Rajapaksa were not running.
However, Mahinda’s son, Namal Rajapaksa, who held a Cabinet Minister position in Gotabaya’s government, is not contesting, but has been included on the party’s "national list."
