4 July 2019 05:03 pm
UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said the UPFA has to reach an agreement with the SLPP on the symbol of the alliance which will be called the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Peramuna (SLNPP) and added the central committees of the SLFP and the UPFA had decided unanimously that President Maithripala Sirisena would be their presidential candidate.
"Our intention is to see that the Opposition and SLPP Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa nominates President Sirisena as the candidate of the UPFA – SLPP led alliance," he said.
Mr. Amaraweera said the SLFP had tried hard to reach an electoral agreement with the SLPP to field one presidential candidate and if their efforts failed; the candidate of the rival party would be the ultimate winner. The failure to reach a compromise between the SLPP, UPFA and the SLFP to field a common presidential candidate from the SLPP – UPFA led alliance means the two parties would field two candidates. In such a scenario, the winner would be the UNP, he added.
He told reporters at the weekly news briefing at the SLFP head office yesterday that the discussions between the SLPP , UPFA and the SLFP had been satisfactory and both parties had agreed on 25 points.
“We are still to decide on a common candidate from the SLPP – UPFA led alliance. However, the alliance led by the SLPP, SLFP and the UPFA must be formed with equal status to all three parties. The UPFA or the SLFP are not ready to be a tail to the SLPP and accept what ever is thrown at us after winning the presidential poll,” Mr. Amarawera stressed. What ever the outcome of the discussions or the forthcoming elections, he or other officials, supporters and voters would never leave the SLFP or the UPFA or join the UNP or the SLPP, Mr. Amaraweera said.(Sandun A Jayasekera)
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