Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has declared that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has a “big plan” to regain political power, in his most direct electoral signal since the party’s 2024 defeat.
“We have a big plan to regain power. There will definitely be a change,” Rajapaksa told reporters on Sunday, responding to questions about the party’s New Year plans. He added that the SLPP was “prepared for the change,” Newswire and Ada Derana reported.
The former president also announced the party would not hold its traditional May Day rally this year because International Labour Day on 1 May coincides with the Vesak festival. Vesak, which marks the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha, is one of Sri Lanka’s most significant religious observances.
“We will not hold a May Day rally; instead, we will mark the day with religious observances,” Rajapaksa said.
The announcement represents the SLPP’s clearest positioning so far for the 2026 political cycle. The party was swept from power in the 2024 general election by the National People’s Power (NPP), which holds a 159-seat parliamentary majority. Mahinda Rajapaksa himself is subject to an ongoing CIABOC investigation into his asset declarations.
Skipping the May Day rally is a notable break from opposition convention in Sri Lanka, where rival camps typically stage competing mass gatherings in Colombo on Labour Day. Government and opposition parties will still have to decide how, or whether, to mark 1 May in any form, with the Vesak full moon dominating the public calendar.
