UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said his party was opposed to the Presidential candidacy of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Addressing a meeting in Angunekolepelessa, Amaraweera said the SLFP and the SLPP had not reached any concrete agreement on the Presidential candidate.

Amaraweera said the name of the Presidential candidate should be announced after the discussions between the SLFP and the SLPP.

"It should be a common decision by both parties," the UPFA General Secretary said indicating that his party does not accept 'unilateral' statements made by SLPP seniors on the next Presidential election.

However, it is learnt that the SLFP and the SLPP are deeply divided over the issue of Presidential candidate. While the SLFP is pushing for the candidacy of the incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena, a sizable proportion of the SLPP are hell-bent on fielding former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as the Joint Opposition's Presidential candidate.