Fifth round of discussions between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna on forming a common alliance began a short while ago at the Opposition Leader's Office in Colombo.

The discussion took place a day after a group of SLFP MPs presented a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena urging him to contest the next Presidential election.

It was revealed that at the previous rounds of discussion, the SLFP has requested the SLPP to accept President Sirisena as the Presidential candidate of the envisaged common alliance.

In return, the party has offered premiership for Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. The proposition, however, has not elicited a positive response from the SLPP camp.

SLFP Senior Vice Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva, General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, National Organizer Duminda Dissanayake, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sarath Amunugama, Sriyani Wijewickrema, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Weerakumara Dissanayake were among those who signed the letter urging Sirisena to run for the presidency again.