I did not apply for the post of Prime Minister, Sajith responds to President

by Zulfick Farzan 25-11-2022 | 11:00 AM

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament on Friday (24) that he did not apply for the post of Prime Minister, during the tenure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sajith Premadasa said that the Former President repeatedly requested him to accept the post of Prime Minister, and four conditions were put forward to Rajapaksa for the establishment of an interim short-term government.

• President must resign from his position during a stipulated minimum period of time;

• Implement and enact the 19th constitutional amendment within a period of two weeks, with the support of all political parties;

• Implement the provisions in the Constitution within a minimum time period to abolish the executive presidency; and

• Call for a parliamentary election to allow the public to form a permanent government after implementing the constitutional amendments and rebuilding the community life and ensuring the rule of law.

Sajith Premadasa said he wrote to then-President Rajapaksa citing these four conditions to accept the post of Prime Minister, and did not request or apply for the post of Prime Minister.

Sajith Premadasa was responding to a comment made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on Thursday (24).

'Our Opposition Leader also said today that I asked for this presidency. I didn't ask for this. I accepted this because of the situation in the country. The Mahanayake Theros also requested me. I didn't go and ask them. I didn't write letters. Today, the Leader of the Opposition has forgotten the letter he sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on May 12. "Mr President, I declare that I have not decided to accept the post of Prime Minister as the leader of the Samagi Jana Bala Sandanaya to form a short-term government under the leadership of the SJB alliance as the main party of the opposition.” After my speech, I request that this entire letter be included in the Hansard,' said the President on Thursday (24).

He added that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa went and took the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. "If you want, you can see it in the party constitution. A disciplinary investigation can be held. Don't blame me. He is the one who agreed to resign from the presidency within a specific, period. So he left after 02 months after I took the oath. It was not you who told him to leave. So what do I do?"