DHAKA: Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka has announced to stand as the main opposition’s candidate against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in upcoming elections.

“I thank the United National Party (UNP) for choosing me as the common opposition candidate,” said the Health Minister, who is also general secretary in Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

“I am grateful to the UNP for choosing the general secretary of the SLFP to be their candidate,” he added.

“We will definitely win”, he added, reports the Aljazeera.

He is quitting the ruling party to take part in election as main opposition’s candidate.

Sirisena made his announcement at a press conference in Colombo, seated alongside three other ministers and former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is the main patron of the president’s party.

BDST: 1803 HRS, NOV 21, 2014