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However, the agreement to nominate Premadasa as the UNP’s presidential candidate is based on several conditions.

The consensus was reached at a meeting held late last evening between Wickremesinghe and Premadasa camps.

Wickremesinghe has agreed to nominate Premadasa as presidential candidate subject to a written commitment from the latter to abolish executive presidency in six months after assuming office, appoint Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and agree to a power devolution package agreed at the parliamentary steering committee

The Prime Minister is also reportedly in agreement that candidacy could be offered to Premadasa but on condition that he (Wickremesinghe) remain the UNP Leader as well as Prime Minister.  

Meanwhile, a key member of Premadasa’s camp, Minister Harin Fernando following the crucial meeting has tweeted saying, “Game on! Positive outcome, New energy for a New Sri Lanka.”

Nevertheless, the official announcement is to be made after the UNP Working Committee meeting on Thursday (26).

The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee is to meet on Thursday (26) and necessary arrangements are being made to hold an election in the event it is required to decide on the party’s presidential candidate.

Party sources have told the media that the party headquarters, Sirikotha, would be prepared to hold a vote if the need arises.

It was also reported that the four-member committee is to reveal its recommendations that day to the Working Committee as per party tradition

Meanwhile, party leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe following a discussion with a team of senior party loyalists had decided last night to call for a meeting of the Working Committee on Thursday and conduct a secret ballot to select the presidential candidate.

Ministers Vajira Abeywardane, Lakshman Kiriella, Ravi Karunanayake, John Amaratunga and Daya Gamage had attended the meeting with Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees.

They have proposed that the Working Committee meet on Thursday and hold a secret ballot to choose the candidate.

The proposal to hold a secret ballot at the Working Committee to select the UNP’s presidential candidate was mooted by party Deputy Leader Minister Sajith Premadasa.

The High Commissioner has tweeted yesterday saying that she made a courtesy call on the Leader of the Opposition.

Meanwhile, Sinhala daily newspaper ‘Ada’ reported today (23) that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had told a group of Bhikkus that he has changed his mind regarding contesting in the upcoming elections.

He had told them he does not expect to be named as the candidate but instead thinks either Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe or Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa should be named as the party’s candidate. The Speaker had met with the Bhikkus following the meeting between the Prime Minister and Premadasa yesterday.

The Speaker had also said that he expects the issue regarding the party's candidate to be resolved soon.

Inside sources from the UNP say it is likely that the final decision will be announced in the next 72 hours.

When asked by Neth News, General Secretary of the UNP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had said the decision will be taken by the Working Committee of the party.

Speaking to Neth News, Deputy Leader of the Party Ravi Karunanayake also said the decision will be announced on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Kumara Welgama says he was prepared to accept the presidential candidacy and contest if the party nominated him.

He told a news briefing that he had been in the SLFP for 38 years and had not left the party under any circumstances.

“I am confident that I would be able to cope with the state of affairs and lead the country to a better position,” Welgama said.

“People know my character. I have worked for the people, and I am a straightforward person. People have faith in me,” the MP further said.

He also noted the fact that the SLFP had been steadfast right throughout history and that it was essential to field a presidential candidate from the SLFP.

 “I raised the importance of fielding an SLFP candidate without losing its identity when I personally met with President Sirisena recently,” he added.

According to Welgama, he would support President Maithripala Sirisena if he would decide to contest the upcoming presidential candidate.

Deputy Leader of the United National Party (UNP), MInister Sajith Premadasa has requested former members of the UNP including former General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who has quit the party, to return to the party fold.

In a special statement, Premadasa said several members had left the party because of ideological differences and pointed out that such differences could be sorted out through discussions and were not reasons to part ways.

Premadasa made this appeal in the backdrop of pushing for the presidential candidacy of the UNP.

He requested all UNP members of the provincial councils and the local governments who quit the party at some point or the other to return to the UNP fold and requested former Secretary General Attanayake who left the party in the run-up to the 2015 presidential elections to join him.

However, the Central Bank will intervene in the secondary market to influence monetary conditions whenever the need arises to do so in accordance with best practices followed by modern Central Banks the world over.

The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPA) is to approve the new act soon enabling Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to present the new act in parliament.

The committee is continuing its consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank before arriving at a final conclusion, official sources said.

Another objective is to limit provisional advances that can be obtained by the government from the Central Bank.

The new act will provide provisions to do away with the current practice of printing money by the Central Bank to provide credit to the government by purchasing treasury bills at auctions or outside of it, expanding the base money of the country, a senior treasury official explained.

The Monetary Law Act devised by amending the existing 70-year old law will be complemented by fiscal rules and legislation designed to prevent Sri Lanka from chronic macroeconomic instability, he added.

The Central Bank will be relieved from printing money on instructions of the government to finance its deficit following the enactment of the new he pointed out without elaborating modalities of its implementation.

In addition, the Central Bank’s governance structure is also expected to be strengthened, along with provisions to make it an independent institution with public accountability.

It will also provide provisions for a modified inflation targeting process, and remove the treasury secretary from the Monetary Board ensuring its independence as well as making the CB as an independent institution with public accountability, he said.

The Attorney General on Monday (23) referred the matter of the leaked telephone recording for preliminary investigations.

Senadhipathi, who is receiving medical treatment in Singapore, released an audio clip of a telephone conversation last week that discussed the case filed by CIABOC against Avant-Garde Maritime Services.

In the recording, the female voice purportedle of Wickramasinghe’s can be heard saying “I know how to break the law and make the law.”

She also expressed regret over filing the Avant-Garde case while blaming the country’s disruptive politics as the reason behind the case.

So far Wickramasinghe has not denied the conversation between her and Senadhipathi.

Wickramasinghe has called on Sendhipathi to release the full recorded conversation alleging that the released audio clip has been distorted.

The Attorney General’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne has said the matter has been referred to the PSC for an inquirer to be appointed to conduct preliminary investigations in to the controversial telephone conversation.

The audio clip of a telephone conversation supposedly between Senadhipathi and former Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and incumbent Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe was recently released through social media.

Taking to his Facebook account, Senadhipathi, who is currently receiving medical treatment in Singapore, released an audio clip of the telephone conversation which discussed the case filed against the Avant-Garde Maritime Services.

The female voice in the recording, purportedly of Wickramasinghe, can be heard saying “I know how to make the law and break the law.”

She also expressed her regrets over filing the Avant-Garde case while blaming the country’s disruptive politics as the reason behind the case.

Wickramasinghe has so far not denied the phone conversation.

However in a Facebook post, she has called on the Avant-Garde chairman to release the unedited version of the conversation to the public, while also alleging that he has distorted it.

SLFP General Secretary, MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said at the party convention in Matara yesterday (22) the SLFP will not blindly agree to join any party although there is an ongoing discussion between the SLFP and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to form an alliance to work together at the next elections.

Jayasekera said the SLFP has strict conditions which need to be met for the SLFP to work with the SLPP.

He further noted the SLFP is not prepared to bow down to the SLPP at any cost and that the SLFP members will protect the party while also working with others in the best interest of the nation.