MP Ramanathan Archchuna has predicted that Namal Rajapaksa will be returned to power at the 2029 elections, telling journalists he believed public dissatisfaction with the country’s current direction would push voters back to the Rajapaksa camp.
“Record this and keep it. Namal will come in 2029. No one can stop that. I don’t have any personal desire for Namal to come to power. But given the condition the country is in, the people will hand it back to the Rajapaksas,” Archchuna said, according to Newswire.
Asked whether Rajapaksa would be a suitable choice for Opposition Leader, the MP said the SLPP parliamentarian did not need the role. “Namal Rajapaksa doesn’t need to become Opposition Leader. He will become President. You can keep this on record. I will not be in politics at that time, but you will see,” he said.
Archchuna also criticised the current opposition’s leadership, saying an effective opposition leader needed to be strong and outspoken. He said no such figure had emerged, and while he praised MP Chamara Sampath’s speaking abilities, he said Sampath lacked other qualities required for leadership.
The MP added that he had previously been dismissed as “crazy” when he predicted the political rise of Indian actor-turned-politician Vijay Joseph, whom he said later achieved electoral success.
The remarks add another voice to a growing band of opposition figures positioning Namal Rajapaksa for a 2029 presidential bid, following Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena’s call last month for Basil Rajapaksa to return and challenge Namal. The SLPP MP has had a turbulent fortnight — he is in active criminal proceedings in the Krrish Group rugby promotion case, acknowledged a controversial prison visit to former Eastern Province Chief Minister Pillayan, and rejected NPP allegations he had misled Tamil youth on PTA detentions on Thursday.
