President Maithripala Sirisena will declare a Presidential election the moment he finalizes a deal with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on presidential candidacy, highly placed political sources told Asian Mirror. 

The President aspires to run for presidency again with the support of the SLPP, virtually headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Sources close to Sirisena confirmed that the President was "strongly exploring" the possibility of an early presidential election. The timing of the election, they added, would depend on how soon Sirisena could secure a deal with the Rajapaksa group. 

"If he manages to strike a final deal on January 08, he will go for the election on January 09," a top Sirisena side told Asian Mirror. 

The Constitution allows Sirisena to declare a Presidential election at any time after January 09, 2019. 

The UNP has also demanded a Presidential election since the outbreak of the recent political crisis. The party has claimed that Sirisena has lost the moral right to continue in office and should seek a fresh mandate from the public. 

While the majority of UNP MPs have claimed that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the party's presidential candidate, a section of party members have pledged support to Sajith Premadasa.