Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition UNP has
failed in its last-ditch effort to convince detained ex-army
chief Sarath Fonseka to contest the April 8 parliamentary poll
under the front led by it, setting the stage for a three-
cornered fight also involving a JVP-dominated alliance and the
ruling UPFA.
59-year-old Fonseka's position was conveyed to the
UNP-led United National Front (UNF) of ex-premier Ranil
Wickremesinghe by the General's wife Anoma, who had a meeting
with the chief of the main opposition party yesterday.
Wickremesinghe had urged Anoma to ask the General to
reconsider his stand on contesting the polls under the Marxist
JVP-dominated Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and instead
become a UNF candidate.
The UNP supremo told Anoma that the UNF "can accommodate
General Fonseka and that he should consider the offer," Mano
Ganesan, leader of the Democratic People's Front (DPF) and an
ally of DNA, told.
"The response from Gen Sarath Fonseka to Ranil
Wickremasinghe's offer has not been positive and this has been
conveyed to UNF by Madam Anoma Fonseka," Ganesan said.
Fonseka was the candidate of the joint opposition in the
January 26 Presidential polls and was defeated by incumbent
Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The former army chief has also signed his nomination
papers as a DNA candidate, sources close to Fonseka said,
adding the General will lead the JVP-dominated alliance.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 15:22