Did President Ranil Send a Letter to MR, Requesting SLPP Support for the Upcoming Presidential Election?

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As the presidential election in Sri Lanka approaches, there has been a surge in rumours on social media. This environment of heightened political activity has led to the proliferation of false claims and misleading information, making it crucial for voters to evaluate the content they encounter online critically.

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A letter circulating on social media, allegedly from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, requests the SLPP's support for Wickremesinghe's candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

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At the same time, we noticed that some social media users shared the purported letter and claimed that it was fabricated, as seen below. Few share an image of the letter with a "fake" stamp, implying it is not authentic.

We decided to do a fact-check on this.

Background

Even though Ranil Wickremasinghe was elected president of Sri Lanka in 2022 after receiving the support of the SLPP parliamentarians, he is not a member of the SLPP.

The presidential election in Sri Lanka is scheduled for September 21, 2024. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently heading the government led by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, has deposited his bond money as an independent candidate.

Amidst this political manoeuvring, a letter allegedly sent by President Wickremesinghe to SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has been circulating on social media. In this letter, Wickremesinghe reportedly requests the SLPP's support for his independent candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

The letter has generated significant eyeballs, with social media users accusing Wickremesinghe of trying to gain political support from a party held responsible for Sri Lanka's economic crisis.

Verification:

SLPP Media Spokesperson: Sanjeewa Edirimanna, the SLPP media spokesperson, confirmed that the letter's contents are true, and that Mahinda Rajapaksa received such a letter from President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

President's Media Unit: The President's media unit also had not denied that the letter was fabricated.

Mainstream Media Reports: Several mainstream media outlets have reported on the letter, affirming that President Wickremesinghe sent a request letter to Mahinda Rajapaksa seeking SLPP's support for his presidential candidacy.

Here is another report on President Ranil Wickremasinghe's letter to SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa requesting that the SLPP communicate its decision regarding its support for him in the upcoming presidential election.

Updates:

However, after President Wickremasinghe communicated his wishes to get support from the SLPP, the party politburo convened to discuss the options. They announced that SLPP would be putting forward their own candidate.

However, despite this decision, a group of SLPP MPs and Ministers have expressed their support for President Wickremesinghe.

According to the President's Media Division, 92 members of Parliament, including Ministers and State Ministers, have reportedly met President Wickremasinghe and pledged their support for him in the upcoming presidential election to ensure his victory.

One such supporter, Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa, has requested President Ranil Wickramasinghe to discuss former President Mahinda Rajapaksa again with the SLPP leader to get the party's support, as reported here.

Furthermore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made a request in writing asking for the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) as well, and the central committee of SLFP met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 31^st July and expressed their unwavering support for the forthcoming presidential election, according to the President’s Media Division.

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