by Our Correspondent in Colombo
Former Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera is emerging in internal political discussions as a possible common candidate for Sri Lanka’s next presidential election, according to sources familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The sources said discussions about Wijesekera’s potential role are taking place well ahead of the next presidential election, which is due in 2029. No formal decision has been made and there has been no announcement of a presidential candidacy by Wijesekera.
Sri Lanka last held its presidential election on 21 September 2024, when Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected president. Although the next election remains several years away, early discussions about potential candidates can become politically significant as parties and political groups consider possible alliances and whether they could eventually unite behind a single candidate.
Wijesekera brings a political background rooted partly in a prominent political family. Born in Matara on 27 April 1982, he is the son of veteran politician and former Cabinet Minister Mahinda Wijesekera. His father represented the Matara District in Parliament for several terms and held a number of ministerial portfolios during his political career. Mahinda Wijesekera died on 2 April 2026 at the age of 83.
Kanchana Wijesekera entered politics at provincial level, serving as a member of the Southern Provincial Council before moving into national politics. He entered Parliament representing the Matara District in 2015 and later became Minister of Power and Energy in April 2022, remaining in the portfolio until September 2024.
His tenure as Energy Minister placed him at the centre of one of the country’s most politically sensitive policy areas during a period when energy policy, electricity supply and the wider economic crisis were major national concerns. That ministerial experience, together with his parliamentary career and political family background, gives him a profile that could be relevant to efforts to construct a broader political coalition.
The significance of the reported discussions, however, lies less in an established candidacy than in the possibility of a common candidate. Such a candidate would potentially need to secure the backing of several political groups while appealing beyond the traditional support base of any single party.
For Wijesekera, being considered for such a role would represent a substantial expansion of his political profile. His previous experience has been concentrated in provincial politics, Parliament and the executive branch, while a presidential campaign would require a much broader national political appeal.
The 2024 presidential election demonstrated the intensity of competition for Sri Lanka’s highest elected office. Dissanayake won after a contest involving several major political figures, with Sajith Premadasa finishing second and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe third. The result also marked a significant political realignment, making the future organisation of opposition and alternative political forces an important question ahead of the next presidential contest.
Against that backdrop, the discussions surrounding Wijesekera could become politically significant even though no formal presidential candidacy has been announced. The viability of any common candidate would ultimately depend on whether different political groups are prepared to accept the individual as a sufficiently broad, credible and electorally competitive choice.
