THE DIALOGUE ENSUED BETWEEN MINISTER DISSANAYAKA AND JOURNALISTS AT THIS JUNCTURE AS FOLLOWS:

DAILY MIRROR: THE SLFP has decided to field party leader and incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena as their Presidential Candidate.the SLPP says their candidate will be decided by opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.who is going to be the candidate of the UNP? MINISTER DISSANAYAKA:

If Mahinda selects the JO’S and SLPP’S candidate it could be even Shiranthi. But we will take a collective agreement at the

right time to ensure the victory of our candidate. DM:

Will it be a new face? MINISTER:

Yes and no.you know,in 1988, there were three front line Presidential hopefuls from the UNP that included my father late Gamini Dissanayaka, late Minister Lalith Athulathmudali and Ranasinha Premadasa. Ultimately, Mr. Premadasa was chosen as the UNP candidate. Therefore, we can’t predict who is going to be our Presidential candidate. DM:

But the popular demand is for a new face. MINISTER:

What I can say for sure is that whoever the candidate, he or she will be from the UNP and he or she will be the absolute winner.

DM:

But other two major parties have already decided. MINISTER:

Be patient.you may remember how President Clinton emerged from nowhere in 1993 and won the primaries of the Democratic Party and ultimately the Presidential poll. Same happened in 2016.