Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the joint opposition is prepared to offer its full support to get the required two thirds majority in Parliament needed to abolish the executive presidential system, sources from the UNP headquarters in Sirikotha said.
It is reported that a powerful businessman with close personal ties to both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa had acted as the messenger.
However, a senior official from Sirikotha, when inquired about the possibility of an agreement between the Prime Minister and the former President to bring a motion of impeachment against President Maithripala Sirisena, dismissed such claims stating that they are ‘baseless’.
Mahinda spoke to me – Ranil admits
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe admitted that he received a phone call from former President Mahinda Rajapksa during the press conference held yesterday (16), at the Temple Trees.
Rajapaksa had asked Wickremesinghe whether there was any truth to the rumours going around in Parliament that suggested that he was going to vacate the post of Prime Minister. Wickremesinghe had responded saying that those rumours were incorrect and that there is no such move in the offing.
Question - Did the former President call you?
Answer - He spoke to me last Monday.
Question - Minister Rajitha Senaratne had said that the former President had telephoned you and told you not to quit the post of Prime Minister. However, the former president said that it was a lie. Can you confirm whether you spoke to the former president?
Answer - He spoke to me last Monday. He was in Parliament at that time. He inquired whether there was any truth to the rumours spreading in Parliament about me vacating the post of Prime Minister. I told him there is no such thing and that even at this moment, I am engaged in some official work at the Prime Minister’s Office the Parliament. We discussed some other details after that.
Question - There were continuous allegations levelled against you stating that you had some kind of relationship with former President Mahinda Rajapakse while protecting him along the way.
Answer - I will not protect anyone. I know Mahinda very well. There is no other connection other than talking about things. I was able to speak to any Parliamentarian when I was Opposition Leader, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House.
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