The Bodu Bala Sena’s General Secretary Galagoda Gnanasara denied that the organisation had decided to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa in next month’s presidential elections.

Speaking to media on Monday, Gnanasara said the BBS never stated that it would support the incumbent or his government.

“What we have stated is that there is an international conspiracy to destroy Sri Lanka and we have stressed the need of defeating that. It is the people who should make the final decision. We are only raising awareness on the conspiracy,” Gnanasara said.

Only last week Gnanasara pledged “unconditional support” to the president.

President Rajapaksa's former coalition partner, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the opposition candidate for the forthcoming presidential election, Maithripala Sirisena, reported Colombo Gazette.

The JHU had put forward some proposals to the opposition candidate, which were rejected by Mahinda Rajapaksa, causing the party run by Buddhist monks to leave the ruling UPFA coalition.

Earlier today Sirisena signed an MoU with other opposition parties, including the UNP.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed today that western countries were intent on bringing dummies into power around the world, adding they were trying to do the same in Sri Lanka, reported the DailyMirror.

The District Disaster Management Group announced 1,428 families have been displaced due to floods in Mannar, reports Uthayan.

According to figures obtained by the Jaffna daily, 2,903 members from 758 families in the Mannar region Secretariat division, 41 members from 12 families in the Naanaattaan Region Secretariat division and 2,714 from 658 families in the Manthai West Secretariat Division have been displaced and are now residing in temporary camps.