The seniors of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party have decided to push for a 'delayed' Parliamentary election, allowing the government to retain its power beyond the 100 day programme.

Highly placed party sources told Asian Mirror on Saturday that the decision to call for electoral system before the dissolution of Parliament comes as part of the strategy to delay the General Election, at least by a few months.

The SLFP clearly stated that the electoral system should be amended along with the abolition of the Executive Presidency.Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva said the party was not in a hurry to go for an election.

Party seniors, Asian Mirror learns, are of the view that the SLFP needs more time to reorganize and restrengthen the party's election machinery prior to the General Election.They have opined that an election at this stage will be advantageous to the United National Party which will the electoral fray with the outcome of the 100 day programme and price reductions that have been introduced with the interim budget.

Speaking to Asian Mirror, a Central Committee member who is also a senior Parliamentarian of the party said the party was likely to go for the election without making a Prime Ministerial Candidate. "However," he said, "Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva will be the unofficial PM Candidate of the party as he will lead the campaign on the ground".

The Parliamentarian ruled out of the possibility of Mahinda Rajapaksa becoming the Prime Ministerial Candidate of the party.