SLPP presidential candidate Gotabhaya to make better relations with India priority: Manifesto

Better relations with India and other nations in the region would be a vital part of Sri Lanka's foreign policy if SLPP's Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's comes to power, according to the party's manifesto that was released here on Friday.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)'s manifesto also highlights improving relations with the member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations on national security.

"We aim to foster better understanding with India, SAARC and BIMSTEC countries on regional security," an extract from Rajapaksa's manifesto released in the local Sinhala language said.

Sri Lanka goes to poll on November 16. A total of 35 candidates would be contesting the election- the highest ever in Sri Lanka's history.

Gotabhaya, 70, who is the younger brother of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, is the main opposition challenger.

Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015 had blamed India and the Western countries for engineering his downfall when he lost his third term bid to the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena.

The Gotabhaya manifesto emphasises that Sri Lanka wound not "cringe" before any foreign power in maintaining foreign relations and international trade.

"We will negotiate on equal terms as a sovereign nation to preserve the national pride," it says.

Gotabhaya's manifesto release came ahead of the postal voting which is scheduled to take place from October 30.

Security forces and state officials who would be on election duty on November 16 would be eligible to vote.

There will be a little over 500,000 postal voters during the election, officials said.

Sajith Premadasa, the ruling party candidate, is to release his manifesto on November 1.

Over 15 million of the nation's 21 million people are eligible to vote at the election to elect the next head of state for a period of 5 years.