Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has left the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with a reported 44 other parliamentarians, as a flood of lawmakers joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) this weekend.
Rajapaksa took up his membership on Sunday morning before SLPP chairman and former Sri Lankan foreign minister G L Peiris.
Rajapaksa’s father was a founding member of the SLFP in 1951, with the former president having been associated with the party for 50 years. His move to the SLPP signals a growing rift with current Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena, as Rajapaksa looks ahead to the recently announced snap elections in January.
Rajapaksa, who launched a massive military offensive that culminated in the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in 2009, was unexpectedly appointed prime minister of Sri Lanka last month, plunging the island into crisis. Sirisena announced on Friday that Sri Lanka’s parliament was to be immediately dissolved with polls to be held in January. As parties tussle for control of lawmakers, Rajapaksa’s switch is expected to draw more MPs to the SLPP.
The SLPP swept local elections in the Sinhala south earlier this year, and looks set for a strong showing in January’s elections.
