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Saturday, 31 December 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The United National Party (UNP) yesterday dismissed the former President and Kurunegala district UPFA Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa’s claim that the current Unity Government would be toppled next year.
The General Secretary of the United National Party Minister Kabir Hashim, dismissing the former President’s claim as an “idle threat”, said that under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution the democratically elected Government cannot be toppled until the next election.
The former President, in a media conference with the Foreign Correspondents Association, said his goal is to topple the consensus Government in 2017.
In response to his statement, Minister Hashim said the former President had been making such claims following the defeat at the Presidential Election in 2015 and added that such claims will not deter the Government’s focus on empowering the people.
“This is nothing new. He has been saying this from the day President Maithripala Sirisena was appointed as the President of this country. First they started dashing coconuts, trying to curse the country and the Government. Then they were having marches from one end of the country to the other to topple the Government,” the Minister said, adding that this is “precisely what they have been planning to do for the past few months.”
“This doesn’t deter us from our commitment to empower the people of this country,” Minister Hashim said.
Speaking to News Radio, the Minister pointed out that during former President’s 10 year reign; he only strengthened his position through constitutional amendments.
Minister Hashim said that through the 18th amendment, Rajapaksa took away the powers of the people while a few of his family and a selected group of people were enriched. The rest of the country was in destitute.
“Same group of people are now trying to topple a legitimately elected Government. We will not allow it,” the Minister said.
He said the United National Party works toward strengthening the power of the people and strengthening democracy.
The General Secretary of the UNP said the party stands to protect democracy and that idle threats made by Mahinda Rajapaksa will not affect the present administration. (Colombo Page)
