Mahinda fires back at Maithripala, rejects allegations

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today fired back at President Maithripala Sirisena, rejecting some of the allegations mentioned in a letter the President had sent Rajapaksa yesterday.

Rajapaksa, in his short letter,?said that he returned to politics based on a request made by the public and several party members.

He also noted?that he handed over the chairmanship of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to Sirisena a few days after he?lost the Presidential elections in January this year.

Rajapaksa urged Sirisena to respect the wishes of the people following the Parliamentary elections the way he respected the wishes of the people in January after the Presidential election.

President Maithripala Sirisena had yesterday written to Rajapaksa saying he will not be made Prime Minister even if the United People?s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) gets the number of seats required in Parliament to form the next Government.

In a letter to Rajapaksa, President Sirisena, who is also the chairman of the UPFA, said that a senior member of the SLFP who has not been the Prime Minister before, should be made the new Prime Minister in a UPFA Government.

President Sirisena urged Rajapaksa to support senior SLFP members like Nimal Siripala de Silva, John Seniviratne, Chamal Rajapaksa, Athauda Seniviratne, A.H.M. Fowzie, Susil Premjayantha, or Anura Priyadharshana Yapa to be appointed the next Prime Minister.

He reminded Rajapaksa that even when the Parliamentary elections were declared he had advised Rajapaksa not to contest the election.

The President accused Rajapaksa of working with vengeance and malice and not with a good heart, despite what he attempts to portray to the public.?(Colombo Gazette)

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