The Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) on Saturday rejected calls by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that it should be given the post of opposition leader, reported Sri Lanka's Sunday Times.

“The opposition leader’s post should be given to the party which has the highest number of members and are not supporting the National Government,” the SLFP's acting general secretary, Duminda Dissanayake, was quoted as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, the TNA leader, R Sampanthan had called for the TNA to be given that position, as the UNP and the SLFP had come together to form a national unity government, therefore leaving the TNA as the opposition party with the greatest number of seats.

In a statement published on Saturday, the TNA said:

"It has been announced that a National Government has been formed and that Members of Parliament who contested and were elected under both the UNP and the UPFA have accepted cabinet portfolios. Accordingly, both the UNP and the UPFA bear collective cabinet responsibility. As political parties in Parliament, they thus must publicly support all Governmental decisions made in Cabinet. This support includes voting with the Government when sitting in Parliament. There is thus no question whatsoever of the UPFA sitting in opposition in Parliament," the statement said.

"In these circumstances, the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) which obtained a total of 16 seats, has emerged as the largest political party in Opposition in Parliament. In accordance with Parliamentary practice and convention, the Parliamentary Group Leader of ITAK must thus be recognized as the Leader of the Opposition," the TNA statement further said.

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