Gen Fonseka (l) is to contest against President Rajapaksa, say reports

A local newspaper, Sunday Times, says political parties in the newly formed opposition alliance, United National Front (UNF), have reached a consensus this week that General Fonseka should be their candidate to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

But there's been no comment from the general, who led the army to victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels earlier this year.

War crimes charges

The main opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, has also declined to comment on the newspaper article, which comes after reports of an increasing rift between the general and Sri Lanka's powerful defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The US authorities last week expressed its intention to interview him, while on a private tour to the country, regarding alleged war crimes during the final stages of the conflict.

General Fonseka holds US permanent residency and travelled to Oklahoma last week to visit his family.

Sri Lanka had said it feared the Department of Homeland Security would try to force Fonseka to provide evidence against Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who holds US citizenship, over alleged human rights violations.

He has later returned to Sri Lanka without facing the interview, Sri Lanka government said.