Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has personally informed President Ranil Wickremesinghe that he is willing to step down from the premiership if the latter wishes to appoint another MP as the Prime Minister, according to a source familiar with the matter,

It is widely speculated that a group of SJB MPs are planning to form a new coalition government that would bring Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa together. They have proposed Premadasa's name as the Prime Minister of the new government.

However, Opposition MP Mano Ganesan stated yesterday that the proposed alliance would not happen as Premadasa had vehemently resisted the move.

Meanwhile, there was another attempt by the SLPP to bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister to strengthen the party's position in the ruling coalition.

In this context, Gunawardena, a longstanding personal friend of President Wickremesinghe, has expressed his willingness to step down from the premiership if the need arises.