UNP should nominate presidential candidate without delay - Ganesan

To expedite formation of Democratic National Alliance

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) has informed the UNP to decide on its presidential candidate and inform them without delay so that the proposed Democratic National Alliance (DNA) could be formed soon.

TPA Leader Mano Ganesan told Daily Mirror that his party had already informed the UNP to decide on the presidential candidate so that the formation of alliance could go ahead.

“We will certainly consider the UNP nominee favourably. If anyone of us is not in agreement, they can take a different way forward. But nobody in the UNP could find fault in the Alliance partners for the delay. It is regrettable that the infighting within UNP has unfortunately flown outside. Therefore I call upon the leader, the working committee and the parliamentary group of UNP to act in time,” Mr Ganesan said.

“The other important issue is that the formation of the DNA cannot be restricted to the presidential elections alone. It has to focus on the parliamentary and provincial elections as well. Forming the alliance for the presidential elections and dropping it for the forthcoming elections won’t be acceptable to us. I can’t speak for the other UNF partners SLMC,ACMC and Hela Urumaya. However I feel that they too are of the same view,” he added.

TPA will remain within the UNF led alliance in the making. Our The other important issue is that the formation of the DNA cannot be restricted to the presidential elections alone. It has to focus on the parliamentary and provincial elections as well concern is the undue delay in the formation of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and the nomination of the candidate.

“The Alliance in the making is a mutually agreed entity between UNP and other alliance partners including TPA. Nobody in the UNP should conclude that we are insisting the formation of Democratic National Alliance (DNA) at the cost of UNP.THE alliance concept shall be beneficial to all. It is in the best interests of the UNP and its alliance partners. We are not pressurizing UNP leader premier Ranil Wickremesinghe to form the alliance only in our interests. As for the presidential candidate, we have long before decided that the next candidate shall be from the UNP. It was outsiders who contested as common candidates at the last two occasions. therefore it is very reasonable to field a UNP candidate as our Alliance’s common candidate this time, he further said.