The Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has asked President Ranil Wickremesinghe to facilitate the return of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Sri Lanka.

The request had been made by the SLPP during a meeting with the President at the President’s Secretariat recently.

Expressing his views, SLPP’s national organiser former minister Basil Rajapaksa assured the President the party will provide their fullest support to the President to build the country by solving the current economic crisis.

Rajapaksa had also requested that former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should be allowed to return to the island safely. Political sources say this was the main request the party had for the President.

At the meeting, the SLPP was represented by Prasanna Ranatunga, Sagara Kariyawasam, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Johnston Fernando, and Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Namal Rajapaksa and Sanjeeva Edirimanna while Sagala Ratnayake, Vajira Abeywardena, Ruwan Wijaywardena and Shamal Senarath were also in attendance.

D.E.W Gunasekara, Chairman of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka revealed that there is a group led by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa behind the diplomatic intervention of the US and India regarding the controversial Chinese ship.

Gunasekara said that if there is a problem between China and Sri Lanka, it should be solved by the two countries and there is no need for another party to intervene. He also said Sri Lanka as a country should act according to a non-aligned policy.

Gunasekara also said that the President and the Prime Minister should intervene and take action that will not damage Sri Lankan and China's goodwill over the Chinese ship.

According to him, a certain group is exacerbating the issue by instigating both the US and India. 

Gunasekara while condemning their behaviour said the current Foreign Minister, must take former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgarmar as an example on how to face these issues. 

The travel ban on Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa has been extended to August 4. 

The order was given by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. On July 27 the courts extended the ban till August 2. 

The ban is connected to the duo being named as respondents in a petition filed over the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.