Moves to name former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as the presidential candidate of the United National Party have been hampered by legal barriers. 

Asian Mirror on Friday exclusively reported that former Chairman of the UNP and a close ally of the UNP Leader, Malik Samarawickrama has embarked on a mission to field former President as the presidential candidate of the main opposition party. 

Samarawickrama, cashing in on his close association with the party leader, has attempted to sabotage the moves to appoint UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya as the presidential candidate of the party. 

However, according to party sources, the majority of UNP Parliamentarians are still supportive of Jayasuriya's candidature.

Meanwhile, Sunday Times political column on Sunday reported that there are certain legal barriers standing in the former president's way to the candidacy. 

According to the column, a group of UNP lawyers believe, would have another impediment – the Supreme Court conviction in the Water’s Edge Case for corruption and the imposition of a fine of Rs. 3 million. It also said that CBK was under severe pressure from her immediate family to stay out of the contest. 

Although the main opposition had two main  options at its disposal, no final decision has been made on the subject of the party's presidential candidate.