Speaking at a youth meeting held at the SLFP headquarters, the Minister has said that only the party reserves the right to nominate the former President as the prime ministerial candidate.

Pointing out that Mahinda Rajapaksa should be responsible for the Presidential election defeat as well as the recent power shifts reported in the SLFP held provincial and local councils, Dissanayake has said the party had never nominated a prime ministerial candidate in its history.