A proposal has been presented by President Maithripala Sirisena's close allies to the UNP asking whether Sirisena could become a Prime Ministerial candidate of a UNP-led alliance in 2020. 

"If Prime Minister Wickremesinghe wins the Presidential election on 2020, Sirisena is willing to work as his Prime Minister and allow his SLFP group to work in a UNP-led government," a top political source from the UNP told Asian Mirror. 

The proposal, however, has elicited negative reactions from the majority of UNPers as they want a young leader from their pwn party to become the Prime Minister. 

"There are several Prime Ministerial aspirants in our own party. So, we can't allow President Sirisena to stand in their way. Also, Sirisena was highly critical of the UNP at the last Local Government election. So, we find it difficult to 'market' him to our party rank and file," the spokesman added. 

However, it is learnt that several ministers in the unity government, including Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, is strongly pushing for the proposal. 

They have asserted that the UNP can only win the next Presidential and Parliamentary elections with the SLFP's support. 

At the Local Government election in February this year, the UNP and the SLFP together secured more votes than the SLPP, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

It is now clear that the SLFP will contest the next national level election as a minor party. At the Local Government election earlier this year, the party managed to obtained only 12% percent of the total votes. 

Speaking to Asian Mirror, a spokesman from the SLFP who wished to remain anonymous said the party had not made a final decision on contesting on its own at the next Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 

"We have to admit that conditions are tough. But we will make a final decision when we get to that point," he said, without giving specific answers on the party's plans for the next two elections.