President says he will not breach the trust people placed in him
Thursday, 7 May 2015 00:00
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President Maithripala Sirisena says he will not breach the trust and faith of nearly 6.3 million people who voted for him at the presidential election on 8 January.
The President has made this statement in response to reports quoting the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Media Spokesperson State Minister Dilan Perera, which said that the purpose of a meeting between him and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe from his post and form a “Maithri-Mahinda” Government.
“President Maithripala Sirisena strongly rejects various statements made by certain individuals with regard to this meeting,” the President’s Media Unit said in a statement.
Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, State Minister Dilan Perera yesterday said there would be no conditions for the meeting, but one, and that was to send Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe “home.”
Explaining the circumstances that led to the scheduling of a meeting between him and Rajapaksa, President Sirisena said SLFP MPs Kumara Welgama and T.B. Ekanayake visited the President’s House two weeks ago and emphasised the need for a meeting with the former President.
Two days later, Venerable Muruttettuwe Ananda Thero, Venerable Medagoda Abhayatissa Thero, Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero and others members of the Maha Sangha also requested for such a meeting.
Accordingly, President Maithripala Sirisena has allocated time to meet former President Rajapaksa. The meeting was scheduled to take place yesterday at the President’s Office in Parliament at 1.30 p.m.
Issuing a statement on the meeting, the President’s Media Unit said the discussion would focus on strengthening the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
“It will be strictly based on issues related to the SLFP and will not discuss anything related to the ongoing activities of the Government,” the statement said.
The statement added that if an individual or organisation requested for a meeting with the President, it was standard procedure for the President to provide such opportunity.
“The President will conduct the meeting in a manner that will not breach the trust and faith of nearly 6.3 million people who voted for him at the presidential election on 8 January,” it said.
