"I reiterate today also that I will not give Premiership to Ranil -- I obliged because I respect parliament": Maithri

"I reiterate today also that I will not give Premiership to Ranil -- I obliged because I respect parliament": Maithri

After Ranil Wickremasingha took his oaths in the presence of President Maihripala Sirisena explained his reasons by addressing the Prime Minister and UNP representatives saying why he thought of not giving that position to him and later changed that decision.

"When looking at the most rugged experiences we encountered ... Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa's government was defeated and a President of country was defeated fr the first time and I was voted for

as the President by two lakhs five thousand of the people because of serious blunders of that government. What was outstanding was corruption and frauds. Then when the public appointed a public-oriented government against corruption and fraud ... the Central Bank bond scam even before three months elapsed  ... and according to two incidents reported in the year 2015; the battle we launched against corruption was completely demoralized. It vanquished hopes and anticipations of the masses in toto. The Yahapalanaya concept was destroyed. There is no news of Mr. Arjun Mahendran even today. No proper procedure was activated to get at him. Though President's Commission provided their support in this connection, officers of the Criminal Investigation Department and other officers were threatened. They were influenced. Inquiries were held against them.

In the same way, a number of issues cropped up in the C.C.M. which was started according to a decision of the cabinet. There were several clashes that occured within. To be honest, to say how much I was grateful to Prime Minister ... the Prime Minister functioned after acquiring even powers of the President. I did not inquire about those. He took such action in transactions carried out with leaders of state and international agreements carried out. Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha functioned by putting into motion ... powers not belonging to the Prime Minister from the 19th amendment. Still I kept silent as a man who knew what gratitude is. I appointed a commission regarding the Singapore Agreement. I received its recommendations last week. It is stated in those recommendations that there are a number of flaws in it.

In the same way I wish to explain clearly ... taking into custody the tri-forces, not to imprison soldiers who destroyed a brutal terrorist campaign and brought victory to a land engulfed in war ... it was something which I constantly said. But no ear was given to it.

I did not see about the conspiracy to assassinate me. You say that this sort of problem in some place. It has not been proved ... but there are a number of matters regarding it. Now since these days the police is in my custody, there is a big progress in those issues. But what is pathetic is ... when matters relating to the conspiracy was being heard in court ... there was not even a single from the Criminal Investigation Department present during the last date of the case. 

In criticisms aimed at me on topics such as where parliament is dissolved, completing the sessions, Prime Minister being appointed, being removed  ... these criticisms are of a childlike manner. It is because the whole country knows that I am not a lawyer. In fact I released that gazette not selfishly. President's counsels and law experts of the highest category in the country were involved in this. It was after discussing with them the said gazette was prepared. it was not work carried out by infants. Particularly the protest you'll launched regarding dissolution of parliament saying that a vote is not necessary ... went to court dismissing the necessity of a vote. However, a public opinion surfaced in this crisis to the effect that they wanted this corrupted parliament be dissolved and a new parliament be chosen. That was found in the UNPers too, I know. They too said that "there are wrongdoers in our camp also ... what is necessary is a general election to send them home".

What the masses say in relation to judgement of court is that the best way to solve the problem is is to dissolve this corrupted parliament and we got an opportunity to install a new parliament by dissolving parliament. That did not happen because of the court judgement. What the public say is that their franchise was lost from the court judgement ... it is not I who say. I inquire from all these people ... religious leaders ... I ask scholars. Then, the opinion of the majority even today is ... whatever the court decision is ... it is the opinion of the public that that it is better if a vote is taken. It is the request that a vote is not warranted that 122 MPs signed and forwarded to court. So when taking into account this situation, I spoke about these matters as to how to prepare the future with this in the background with experiences of the past.

I launched this gazette under advice of legal experts ... I did this with great self-respect ... with a sense of great, pure motivation. It was not done with an impure motive of having the idea of violating the constitution. A serious crisis erupted in the country. The best method to solve it isby going for an election. 122 MPs signed this document in parliament. There are 155 lakhs of voters in this country. I released this gazette in order to give power to to this 155 lakhs of voters ... believing that the vote of this 155 lakhs would be the deciding factor of the evidence of authority of the masses and is welcome by the country as well as the world. That is why I took that step. If I am to be punished for the things I did with clear, pure intentions ... if I am to be punished and a no confidence motion is brought ... that is a different matter. But truth will be written in history as something carved on rock.

Though court has given a judgement like this, what then is my motive? It is because I know that giving the mandate to 155 lakhs is more powerful than the 122 who refused a vote in parliament. Therefore whatever punishment is given to me is no problem to me. I am a man who died five, six times during my political life. I was first killed in '71. Without having any links to JVP the principal of my school had given my name to as a Che Guevara and I was beaten and taken to Batticaloa prison and kept there. That was the first occasion when god saved me. Therefore what I have to tell the public of this country is this. Someone may ask ... 'didn't I say that even if Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha had 225 in parliament, I will not give Premiership to him'. Today, after they will ask. I will be attacked in the social media ... many things will be said ... I will be subjected to much humour.

That is my political opinion. It is because of the depth of that opinion that I said so ... that even if 225 placed their signatures ... that I will not give Premiership to Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha. You'll in that instance went to parliament and after collecting 117 signatures managed to show the majority in parliament. Nowhere in the constitution is it stated to suggest, order to President that this person be appointed as Prime Minister. Even the court cannot as far as I know, stated to appoint such and such a person the Prime Minister. That very clearly is in the hands of the Executive President.

But as an unassuming person who honours parliamentary tradition, when the 117 of parliament was shown by the Speaker ... I decided to give it to Mr. Ranil Wickremasingha. I stand on my footing on my personal opinion, m political opinion that I will not budge even if 225 have signed ... and it is still the same. But within the framework of parliamentary tradition ... I decided that the Premiership should be given ... by respecting that parliamentary tradition. I see this as a traditional feature of a democratic society and a traditional society".