Bonds have been placed on behalf of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today (05)
, to contest in the 2024 Presidential Election as an independent candidate.
Dhammika Ratnayake has paced the cash deposit on behalf of Fonseka.
On July 25, Fonseka officially announced his presidential candidacy stating that, “A lot of people have asked me to contest for the presidential election and I am looking forward to accepting the call of the people of Sri Lanka.”
The former Army Commander, who contested the 2010 presidential election as the common opposition candidate, invited every Sri Lankan to join him “to take Sri Lanka forward.”
A decorated military officer, Fonseka was the eighteenth Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, and under his command the Sri Lankan Army ended the 26-year war against the LTTE in 2009. He thereafter briefly served as the Chief of Defence Staff.
After retiring from the army with the rank of General, he entered politics as the common opposition candidate in the 2010 presidential election contesting against then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Following his defeat in the presidential election, he was elected to Parliament in the general election that followed.
Fonseka was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal by then President Maithripala Sirisena on 22 March 2015, becoming the first Sri Lankan Army officer to be promoted to the rank.
A total 16 candidates have placed their deposits with the Election Commission thus far.
This includes 7 independent candidates whose names have been nominated by a voter, eight candidates from recognized political parties and one candidate from other political parties.