Democratic Party to contest polls independently

• Will consider coalition if former president candidacy becomes a threat

The leader of Sri Lanka’s Democratic Party, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, said his party would contest the 1 August parliamentary elections independently.

However, the party will consider joining an a common political alliance to contest the polls only if the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s faction shows a likelihood of being a serious threat, the Democratic Party leader said.

Speaking at an event to appoint several party organisers, Fonseka has said that the Democratic Party intends to contest the election alone but if there was a threat of Rajapaksa and his associates returning to power, the party would join a common alliance to defeat the former president.

Field Marshall Fonseka said he had received requests from other parties to join other alliances, but he would not change his stance unless there was a threat. Fonseka said he would convey his party’s stance to those parties requesting him to join.

He added that the party hoped to secure at least 1 million votes and send about 20 members to Parliament from the party.