SLFP to nominate presidential candidate

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has decided it will be fielding a candidate for the upcoming Presidential Elections, an official said yesterday. 

President Maithripala Sirisena

SLFP MP Weerakumara Dissanayake told reporters that SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara has informed the Elections Commission of the decision. The SLFP had earlier stated that it would announce its decision on whether or not to field a candidate at its Party Convention, which was held on Tuesday. However, there was no announcement made at the convention, which was addressed by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The SLFP and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which announced former Defence Minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa as its presidential candidate in August, have been engaged in coalition talks for weeks, hoping to support each other in the upcoming Presidential Elections. President Sirisena and Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa met last week to take the plans to the final phase, it was earlier reported.