The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will not accept conditions from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on contesting the upcoming Parliamentary elections, state Minister Shehan Semasinghe said.

He said that they were willing to discuss the formation of an alliance, but would have to accept Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the leader of the alliance.

‘We have reasons as to why the former President Maithripala Sirisena cannot be accepted. One of the reason was that under his leadership they were defeated at the local elections and as a result delayed the conduct the provincial elections’, he said.

He said besides, he was trying to work with the UNP and thereby a large number who supported the SLFP quit.

‘If necessary Mr Sirisena can contest under the SLPP, but will not be accepted as a joint leader’, he said.

He said they will be contesting under the ‘Phohottuwa’ (flowerbud symbol) headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa.