All-party Government needed to save country: SLFP

• Sirisena says responsibility to form all-party Govt. lies with President
• SLFP will submit its own proposals 
• Suppressing protests will worsen the issues 

Former President and Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) Chairman Maithripala Sirisena said forming an all-party Government is imperative to save the country from the current crisis. “In order to gain the support of all parties to rebuild the country, it is important that an all-party Government is formed,” he said. 

Sirisena and several members of the SLFP met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday at the Ministry of Finance to discuss the possibility of setting up an all-party Government. 

“The responsibility of forming an all-party Government by formulating a process and inviting the parties to join in is with the President and the Government,” he said. According to Sirisena, the SLFP will present its own proposals and any future program will be implemented according to the response by President Wickremesinghe. 

Sirisena also said the SLFP will not be stooges of the Government simply because it held discussions with the President to form an all-party Government. “We even refrained from voting on the emergency laws in Parliament this week because the Government has not stuck to its promises and has failed to make a statement on its stance about forming an all-party Government,” he said

He also said attempts to suppress protestors would create a number of issues. “It will only worsen the situation as it will lead to more people joining the protests as the crisis exacerbates,” he said.