Convener for The Movement for A Just Society Maduluwawe Sobitha thera has said that the United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose name has already been proposed as the presidential candidate of the UNP, cannot win the presidential election if he competes alone.

In a meeting which was held in Naga Vihara in Kotte yesterday Sobitha thera has stated  that the common candidate too cannot win the presidential election without the UNP’s support.

Addressing the gathering Maduluwawe Sobitha thera said that the discussions with the United National Party in order to field a common candidate for the presidential election have come to the closing stage.

Sobitha thera told media that the final decision regarding the common candidate will be made in the weeks to come and campaigning for the presidential election will begin immediately after the announcement of the common candidate.

In an Interview with BBC Sinhala service two days ago, 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.