Sri Lanka's main Opposition party has decided to field former army commander General Sarath Fonseka, who stepped down recently, to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the country's snap presidential elections.
Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the Opposition United National Party (UNP), told a news conference in Colombo Thursday that the party would support General Fonseka in the election likely to be held on January 23.
He said the Opposition was considering the coming election as a "referendum to oust Rajapaksa and his family from power" so that the new president can call for parliamentary elections.
Term of the current parliament expires on April 2 next year.
Elected in 2005, Rajapaksa's six-year term ends in November 2011. The snap polls would cut two years from his regular term, but he is riding on popular support created by crushing a bloody insurgent fight by the Tamil rebels earlier this year and a convincing victory in recent southern provincial elections.
Fonseka, who had been Sri Lanka's army chief during the final three-year phase in the island-nation's civil war, was removed from the post after the mission was accomplished in May.
He was later named Chief of Defense Staff, a largely ceremonial post. But he resigned on November 12 reportedly to enter politics. The 58-year-old ex-General has not yet confirmed his intention to run for the presidency.
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