COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday opened his political office here, hinting that he may contest the next presidential election to be held later this year.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and several senior ministers were present at the inauguration of the office at Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo's posh residential area Flower Road.
Wickremasinghe, 75, has not made any public statement on his bid to contest re-election. From mid-July 2022, he is serving the remainder of the term of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The next presidential election is scheduled to be held between mid-September and mid-October.
Wickremesinghe, who was Prime Minister when Rajapaksa was ousted from power through a public movement on the streets that lasted for months and successfully led the country out of an economic crisis that was blamed on the Rajapaksa family's rule .
Wickremesinghe, who is also Finance Minister, ended queues for essential goods, shortages and prolonged power cuts and secured a bailout from the IMF, the process for which was initiated during Rajapaksa's last days.
Sri Lanka, which had received US$2.9 billion in a four-year program from the IMF, had by then received generous Indian assistance of US$4 billion.
Wickremesinghe intends to contest the elections as an independent candidate supported by all political parties that are intent on maintaining the economic reform program set out by him.
The other two main opposition leaders Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the Marxist JVP have already announced their candidature.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and several senior ministers were present at the inauguration of the office at Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo's posh residential area Flower Road.
Wickremasinghe, 75, has not made any public statement on his bid to contest re-election. From mid-July 2022, he is serving the remainder of the term of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The next presidential election is scheduled to be held between mid-September and mid-October.
Wickremesinghe, who was Prime Minister when Rajapaksa was ousted from power through a public movement on the streets that lasted for months and successfully led the country out of an economic crisis that was blamed on the Rajapaksa family's rule .
Wickremesinghe, who is also Finance Minister, ended queues for essential goods, shortages and prolonged power cuts and secured a bailout from the IMF, the process for which was initiated during Rajapaksa's last days.
Sri Lanka, which had received US$2.9 billion in a four-year program from the IMF, had by then received generous Indian assistance of US$4 billion.
Wickremesinghe intends to contest the elections as an independent candidate supported by all political parties that are intent on maintaining the economic reform program set out by him.
The other two main opposition leaders Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the Marxist JVP have already announced their candidature.
