By Piyasena Dissanayake and Anura Balasuriya  Island

The proposed one-on-one meeting between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and incumbent Maithripala Sirisena would be held under two conditions, former Minister and UPFA Colombo District MP Gamini Lokuge said yesterday.

Lokuge told The Island that politicians supporting former President Rajapaksa had informed President Sirisena that they were opposed to forming a national government with any other party and they wanted to form a government with the support of parties which join as allies of the SLFP after the next general election. The talks between the former and incumbent presidents would be held only if the incumbent president was agreeable to those conditions, MP Lokuge said.

Arrangements were being made for the meeting between former President Rajapaksa and incumbent president Sirisena shortly, MP Lokuge said, adding that in case President Sirisena rejected those two conditions, the politicians supporting Rajapaksa would contest the forthcoming general election as a separate party.

“If President Sirisena is ready to accept our conditions, we are ready to launch our campaign on the very same day under former President Rajapaksa, who has already expressed his willingness to lead such a campaign,” the MP said.

Meanwhile, a senior SLFP spokesman said that the issue of revamping the SLFP and making it competitive in view of the forthcoming elections would be the most important item on the agenda for talks between former President and the incumbent President.

The spokesman said that the meeting would be held shortly.

The proposed meeting between former President Rajapaksa and incumbent President Sirisena was a result of negotiations held by senior SLFP members T. B. Ekanayake, Kumara Welgama, Mahinda Amaraweera, Dilan Perera and the members of the Maha Sangha. They had indicated that inclusion of former President Rajapaksa in the SLFP campaign was essential if the party to come out victorious in the forthcoming election, the senior SLFP spokesman said.