Shirani Bandaranaika as Presidential candidate -- Sajith in talks with TNA, asking for support -- Attendance at Gotabhaya's party

Shirani Bandaranaika as Presidential candidate -- Sajith in talks with TNA, asking for support -- Attendance at Gotabhaya's party

A former chief justice, Shirani Bandaranaika will be coming forward as Presidential candidate, political sources report. She will be brought to the stage by a group of political activists who formed a group by themselves recently. Name of former director general of bribery and corruption commission and solicitor general Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasingha's name was nominated instead of Shirani's name by the group mentioned but was changed all of a sudden at the last moment, it was said. In order to come forward for the Presidential election, Mrs.

Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasingha has even handed over her resignation letter last week on Wednesday; but has withdrawn the letter 5 days later on Monday (19) quite suddenly. Internal sources have reported that Shirani is being brought to the stage this way to create an influence on Gotabhaya's stack of votes.

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Muslim Congress and accompanying parties have informed that they are not prepared to join the alliance if the UNP is not to nominate Sajith or someone else in a background where UNP delays in selecting their candidate and the alliance they are going to form keeps delaying. The Sajith faction has worked towards attracting Tamil National Alliance in favour of these conditions. 

The Sajith - Tamil Alliance meeting is to be at Mangala Samaraweera's home. This special discussion of getting support of Tamil National Alliance at Presidential election was held in Mangala Samaraweera's home day before yesterday (21) night between leader of Tamil National Alliance and minister Sajith Premadasa. The ability for him to draw Tamil votes in his favour was spoken about on this occasion. It has come to be known that if support is to be obtained, Sampanthan has thrown forward conditions relating to some issues faced by Tamils and offering justice to Tamils. 

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It was something special that MPs of Sri  Lanka Freedom Party have participated in the dinner thrown at a leading hotel in Colombo under the honour of Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna Gotabhaya Rajapaksa day before yesterday night. Opposition leader Mahinda had invited the MPs for this dinner. MPs who represent Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Mahinda Amaraweera, Dayasiri Jayasekera, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Faizer Mustafa, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Angajan Ramanathan, Shriyani Wijeywickrema, Thilanga Sumathipala, Shantha Bandara, Cader Masthan and Dushantha Mithrapala attended the dinner. 

Though President Maithripala Sirisena was invited to participate in this dinner, he has not attended the occasion saying that he was to attend a funeral. However, MPs of Sri Lanka Freedom Party have attended this dinner on instructions of the President. Though received invitations for the dinner, parliamentary members Duminda Dissanayaka, Mahinda Samarasigha, Kumara Welgama, Weerakumara Dissanayaka have been absent at the dinner.