The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will formally invite Gen. Sarath Fonseka to contest the upcoming Presidential Election. The United National Front (UNF), whose constituent parties have already reached consensus on his candidature, as exclusively revealed in the Sunday Times last week, will thereafter publicly welcome the move. They will announce that the UNF will extend their full support, according to inter-party consultations now under way.

The go-slow campaign of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) workers has turned into a strike after supporters of a UPFA politician provoked two incidents outside the Kolonnawa fuel distribution centre on Friday and yesterday, trade union leaders said.