President Maithripala Sirisena has written to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa saying he will not be made Prime Minister even if the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) gets the number of seats required in Parliament to form the next Government.

In a letter to Rajapaksa, President Sirisena, who is also the chairman of the UPFA, said that a senior member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) who has not been the Prime Minister before, should be made the new Prime Minister in a UPFA Government.

President Sirisena urged Rajapaksa to support senior SLFP members like Nimal Siripala de Silva, John Seniviratne, Chamal Rajapaksa, Athauda Seniviratne, A.H.M. Fowzie, Susil Premjayantha, or Anura Priyadharshana Yapa to be appointed the next Prime Minister.

He reminded Rajapaksa that even when the Parliamentary elections were declared he had advised Rajapaksa not to contest the election.

"Even some of your family members had supported this call," the President said in his letter.

However President Sirisena said that Rajapaksa had decided to contest the election in order to stay in power despite losing the Presidential election.

The President accused Rajapaksa of working with vengeance and malice and not with a good heart, despite what he attempts to portray to the public.

In his letter, Sirisena also urged Rajapaksa not to act in a manner which could incite communal hatred and to also ensure the UPFA wins the Parliamentary election. (Colombo Gazette)