Convener of the ‘Movement for A Just Society’ Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha thera has said the common candidate for the presidential election has still not been decided.

In an Interview with BBC Sinhala service Sobitha thera said that if President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not take steps to abolish executive presidency, a representative of the Movement for a Just Society would definitely emerge as the common candidate.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised that he would abolish executive presidency and his ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ election manifesto states the same. We are of the belief that President will keep to his promises', Sobitha thera said in the interview.

Sobitha thera said that there are certain members at the heart of the government who firmly believe that the executive presidency should be abolished.

“The United National Party (UNP) who introduced the executive presidency to Sri Lanka has also recognized the faults of system”, Sobitha thera said.

Sobitha thera pointed out that with the UNP’s supportive vote towards a constitutional amendment it would be easy to abolish the Executive Presidency.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa severely protested against executive presidency when he was in the opposition, but now with the new constitutional amendment he has increased the possibility of continuing presidency indefinitely “, Sobitha thera added.