MOST UNIQUE PRESIDENT SL EVER HAD

President Maithripala Sirisena has been unique in that he has a very colorful record from the time he was married. His selection by the civil rights movement headed by Late Ven. Sobitha Thera influenced him as secretary of the SLFP to dine with then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and prompted him to contest at the last presidential election in 2015.

He pledged on platforms that he would only serve for four years as the President not five years.

He was not interested in plush residence and VIP security but would work from his humble home in Polonnaruwa.

He would not seek any official residence after his term but would retire to his humble abode in his home town.

He was determined not to get his family involved in his office or politics nor appoint any relatives to any post.

He was interested in car permits nor take any government vehicle and was against escorts being given to his family.

I leave it to the public to decide the veracity of his open declarations he thus made in public covered by the media. Probably his consequent acts prove or disprove them.

Besides these he made a many declarations on alcohol served in the country and no more liquor permits issued; ban of manufacturing and selling tobacco; ban on manufacturing and using of plastics; banned pesticides used in agrarian activities; appointed several commissions to probe corruption; capital punishment for drug traffickers; introduced impartiality in Police and Judiciary etc are to name a few. Perhaps the country deserves a leader of his calibre. NIHAL DE

ALWIS

He pledged on platforms that he would only serve for four years as the President not five years