"If Ranil comes ... I won't remain in this position for one hour" -- Maithri

"If Ranil comes ... I won't remain in this position for one hour" -- Maithri

The President has mentioned yesterday that he would not remain in the President's seat for even one hour if Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha is made Prime Minister by the parliament; and that was when he had a discussion with district organisers of his party.

The President said that he took a certain strong course of action to gain victory in the Presidential Election and that he has taken an even stronger course of action this time and that he did so by

thinking of the country and the public.

"When I won the 2015 Presidential Election, a secretary of the UNP came and gave me a letter and stated that Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha should be made the Prime Minister and that under such and such an article of the governing constitution, powers of the President should be vested in the Prime Minister and had subsequently asked him to place my signature agreeing to such conditions ... it was mentioned there.

The President also mentioned that he sent a letter to UNP leaders saying that though he could appoint Ranil Wickremasingha as Prime Minister, it is not possible to empower him with powers of the President as so mentioned. The President stated that Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha functioned in that manner and added that he spent the past three and a half years with most difficulty, it was mentioned. He has stated that under these circumstances he decided to establish a new government by appointing Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa to position of Prime Minister because he could no longer let things happen that way.

The President who said that Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and he would be functioning with understanding said that he has discussed with Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa as to how things should proceed in the future and has made a request not to have any fear about it. the President who said that the new government is able to rectify past mistakes and go ahead and had also requested the support of of everybody.

The President who mentioned that he was with the government with the United Peoples Freedom Party led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party had remarked that in a very short time the bond scam took place. The President then said that as a result the public threw a squint-eyed look on the government. Even then the President said that the collapse of the government began with the bond scam. Though the masses gave a proper response to the government at this provincial council elections, President Mr. Sirisena has said that the United National Party headed by Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha was not able to understand the message. The President who said that the UNP was not able to get away from principles such as state resources being marketed, privatization and globalization admitted that he expressed his utter contempt about it.

On the decision that he, the President saying that he would not remain in the President's chair even for one hour if Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha is appointed as Prime Minister once again, if Ranil Wickremasingha acquires the majority of 113 or more in the next parliamentary session, according to article 42 (4) of the constitution, Ranil will not be named as the candidate who holds the biggest confidence in parliament.

What is mentioned in 42 (4) of the constitution is, 'according to powers vested in the President he will appoint as the Prime Minister the member of parliament who wins the highest confidence in parliament'. There are signs that under the problem which exists under this situation it would turn into further complexity.