Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the UNP candidate would emerge victorious at the next Presidential election, irrespective of who runs for the Presidency from the opposition.

Addressing a meeting in Colombo, Karunanayake said former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's Presidential candidacy would pose no real challenge to the UNP. He also confirmed that the UNP would contest the next Presidential election as a common alliance

"The UNP will field a mature and patriotic leader who can treat every community in Sri Lanka with respect," Karunanayake added.

The Minister added that although the current government did not allocate large sums of money for advertising, the work the government had carried out so dar had made an indelible mark on the minds of the public.

"There is no need to spend large amounts of money for advertising if the government is keen on winning the hearts of people with meaningful development projects," he added.