Sri Lanka's main opposition confident of polls victory despite defection

Sri Lanka's main opposition on Saturday said that it was confident of winning the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in the island nation next month despite a group of opposition members defecting from the party to join the ruling United National Party (UNP).

Opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) member Dinesh Gunewardena told Xinhua that despite reports that an alliance was to be formed between the defected group, the UNP and Sri Lanka's main Buddhist party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the opposition, which included former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, was confident of forming a new UPFA government after the August 17 elections.

"Anyone breaking away from the party will not be able to prevent a UPFA victory," he said.

Several Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members who belong to the UPFA alliance on Friday said they will support the UNP while the JHU and Sri Lanka's main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said they too will contest next month's election under the UNP ticket.