He is responding to a question in BBC Sinhala Service’s facebook chat programme.

Although Mahinda has no shame, we are ashamed to work with him in parliament, he said.

The minister said they expected that the UPFA would not give nominations to the corrupt, and the UNP would find it difficult to form a national government with such corrupt persons.

We can work with true SLFPers who are not corrupt, he said.

Rajapaksa’s faction too, has said that they would not join with the UNP to form a national government.

Both president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have spoken about a national government after the polls.

When asked as to whether the UPFA was at an advantage after the advent of the ex-president, minister Samaraweera said the UNP would also win the Rajapaksa strongholds of Hambantota and Matara districts too.

The UPFA will evaporate after this election, as we have gained an unexpected advantage by Rajapaksa’s attempt to enter parliament due to his greed for power, as many forces have extended their support to us, he added.