Former Health Minister and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena today revealed that he would be the ‘Common Candidate’ from the opposition to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential election in January.

Sirisena made the announcement at a tightly packed media briefing held at New Town Hall in Colombo this evening, thus ending days of speculation regarding who will be the much discussed common candidate.

Along with Sirisena and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Arjuna Ranatunge, Wasantha Senanayake, M.K.S. Gunawardena and Duminda Dissanayake were all present at the media briefing, where among other things, a pledge was made to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days if Sirisena emerged victorious.

Courtesy:The Nation