Former SL Prez Maithripala to contest next Presidential elections

COLOMBO [SRILANKA]: Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said today that he will contest the next Presidential elections with the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Daily Mirror reported. Sirisena served as Sri Lanka's President from 2015-2019.

The Presidential elections in Sri Lanka are due to take place in September 2024, Lanka Xpress reported. Maithripala Sirisena made the announcement while speaking at a media briefing at the SLFP headquarters.

The former Sri Lankan President said that he is not afraid of any conspiracy against him. "I will not back down from anything. I'm not afraid of any conspiracy. I respect the law and the court. I will contest for the next Presidential election with the support of the SLFP no matter what troubles were given," Daily Mirror quoted Maithripala Sirisena as saying.

Meanwhile, on January 12, the country's Supreme Court ordered Sirisena to pay a sum of Sri Lankan Rupee 100 million as damages to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks that took place in 2019, as per the Daily Mirror report.