I have no dream of becoming the Western Province Chief Minister - Attorney-at-Law Rajiv Amarasuriya

Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and Attorney-at-Law, emphasized that the statement made by National People's Power (NPP) Member of Parliament Asitha Niroshan, claiming that following a discussion held on a Thursday with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, he was slated to be given the candidacy for the Chief Minister post of the Western Province in the upcoming Provincial Council election, is completely false.

Speaking at a program broadcast on a private television channel on the 27th, the President stated that if the relevant MP clearly explains in which month and on which Thursday this incident he claims took place, he is ready to provide an appropriate response. He pointed out that the only occasion he met the Opposition Leader was on the 4th, during a public discussion organized by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka regarding the retirement age of judges. He further mentioned that Mr. Sajith Premadasa, who participated in that event, left shortly thereafter.

Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya stated that the day this false accusation was made in Parliament was the first time he had seen MP Asitha Niroshan, and thereafter, he looked up information about him through the official Parliament website. Furthermore, the President commented that if he were to change his photograph published on the Parliament website, it would be a more suitable action for him as an MP.

Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya expressed his strong opposition to making such false statements from a place like Parliament, an institution maintained by public funds and subject to public sovereignty, and also stated that he does not know if there are other such MPs within the government. He further mentioned that if this false statement had been made outside Parliament, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka would have taken legal action against it first.