Mahinda Rajapaksa hints at 2020 presidential bid

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa paid homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic separately today (June 15th). Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa responded to several questioned raised by journalists as he was exiting the premises.

When asked about the meeting with the outgoing US ambassador and reports that emerged about Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the 2020 presidential election, he merely dismissed the reports as rumors.

When questioned who the presidential candidate would be, Mahinda Rajapaksa said that as the party they had not taken a decision. He noted that there is even a legal argument being brought up that he could run for president and that is another reason why he could not tell who the presidential candidate would be.

When asked about an earlier statement made by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, where he said that he is prepared to contest the presidential election if Mahinda Rajapaksa tells him to, the form president laughed as he said that no one can refuse when he asks.