Housing and Construction Minister and Leader of The National Freedom Front Wimal Weerawansa said Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would not allow a strong opposition candidate at the next Presidential Election.

“If Ranil Wickremesinghe does not contest the next presidential election, he won’t let a strong common candidate to enter the race”, Minister Wimal Weerawansa said. “Wickremasinghe will only allow a candidate who is not a threat to his UNP and opposition leaderships,” he said. Weerawansa made these remarks addressing a public meeting in Dematagoda.

He also mentioned that a few people are saying that Sajith Premadasa can win the next presidential election. “Wickremesinghe will never allow a person like Premadasa to contest if there was even a slight chance of him winning the Presidential Election”, he said.

Weerawansa claimed that Wickremesinghe knew that Sarath Fonseka would not win the 2010 Presidential Election and therefore put him forward. This time too, he will put forward a losing candidate and then put the blame on defeat on that person, Weerawansa stressed.

Although Wickremesinghe has expressed his desire to contest the forthcoming presidential election, the UNP has still not taken an official stance on the candidacy. It is said that the broad alliance of opposition movements that are being formed have decided to field a common candidate, whose name will be disclosed only when the election is called.