Ranil for a national unity government

Opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed forming a national unity government if opposition common candidate Maithripala Sirisena wins the January Presidential elections.
Speaking to UNP members at Sirikotha yesterday in the presence of Sirisena, the UNP leader said that he had proposed forming the national unity government until the next General election.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe with common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at Sirikotha yesterday – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara
“Once Maithripala Sirisena is made President we will form a Government. That will not be a UNP Government or SLFP Government. It will be a Government which will include all parties,” he said.
The UNP leader said that the main objective of the new Government would be to abolish the Executive Presidency.
He said that while Maithripala Sirisena expects to abolish the Executive Presidency within 100 days after the Presidential elections, he feels it can be done in a shorter space of time.

The UNP leader also proposed that temporary concessions be given to the public at the conclusion of the Presidential election next year and later hold a General election and allow the people to select who they want in the new Parliament.
He said that at the General election the UNP will contest under the elephant symbol and look to have a larger representation in Parliament but yet work with other political parties on urgent national issues.
“We should work together at least for two years to address these issues,” he said.
The UNP leader called on party organisers and members to work hard towards gathering the support of all other political parties for the Presidential election with the ultimate goal being to bring the UNP back to power. (Colombo Gazette)

Maithripala to follow Gandhi, Mandela   Common opposition Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena says he will follow the vision of great leaders like former South African President Nelson Mandela and the leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India, Mahatma Gandhi. “I am not Mahatma Gandhi, I am not Nelson Mandela but I follow their visions,” he said. Sirisena also said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by the common opposition this week will clear all doubts about the real intention of the common opposition. Speaking to UNP members at Sirikotha, Maithripala Sirisena said that various views have been expressed to the local public and international community regarding the intentions of the common opposition. Sirisena said that past election manifestos had noted that the Executive Presidency will be abolished and yet that did not happen so there were doubts if that will happen even after the next election. However he said the MoU, expected to be signed this week will make clear the real intentions, which includes abolishing the Executive Presidency. He also thanked the UNP for selecting a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member and General Secretary to be the candidate to contest against President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the polls. (Colombo Gazette)