Fonseka's position was conveyed to the UNP-led United National Front (UNF) of ex-premier Ranil Wickremesinghe by the General's wife Anoma, who had a meeting with the chief of the main opposition party yesterday.
Sri Lanka's main opposition UNP has failed in its last-ditch effort to convince detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka to contest the April 8 parliamentary poll under the front led by it, setting the stage for a three-cornered fight also involving a JVP-dominated alliance and the ruling UPFA.
Fonseka's position was conveyed to the UNP-led United National Front (UNF) of ex-premier Ranil Wickremesinghe by the General's wife Anoma, who had a meeting with the chief of the main opposition party yesterday.
Wickremesinghe had urged Anoma to ask the general to reconsider his stand on contesting the polls under the Marxist JVP-dominated Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and instead become a UNF candidate.
The UNP supremo told Anoma that the UNF "can accommodate general Fonseka and that he should consider the offer," Mano Ganesan, leader of the Democratic People's Front (DPF) and an ally of DNA, told PTI.
"The response from Gen Sarath Fonseka to Ranil Wickremasinghe's offer has not been positive and this has been conveyed to UNF by Madam Anoma Fonseka," Ganesan said.
Fonseka was the candidate of the joint opposition in the January 26 presidential polls and was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The former army chief has also signed his nomination papers as a DNA candidate, sources close to Fonseka said, adding the General will lead the JVP-dominated alliance. The sources said Fonseka's nomination papers from the Colombo district constituency would be filed tomorrow.
Fonseka's decision could lead to people witnessing a clash of the Titans in the Colombo district, from where Wickremasinghe and Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of the National Freedom Front — an ally of the ruling coalition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), are also expected to Contest the polls.
The DNA had said on Monday that there was still time for UNP to reverse its "unjustifiable" decision to contest the parliamentary polls under its 'Elephant' symbol.
JVP spokesman Vijitha Herath said that there was still time and space for a unified opposition alliance. "We are still open for discussions," he said.
Nominations for the Parliamentary polls would close on Friday.
Herath said the DNA would contest from all the 22 electoral districts, including Jaffna, Wanni, Trincomalee and Batticaloa.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}