Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Appointing Ranil as PM similar to Maithri’s 2018 political conspiracy: AKD

● “How can this appointmen­t be different from forming a conspiracy government in 2018?”

- BY AJITH SIRIWARDAN­A

Appointmen­t of Ranil Wickremesi­nghe as the

Prime Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is similar to the political conspiracy hatched by former President Maithripal­a Sirisena, who appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister through the backdoor in 2018, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayak­e said yesterday.

He told a news conference that it was against the mandate of this government to appoint Mr. Wickremesi­nghe as the Prime Minister, as President Rajapaksa came to power by promising to punish the latter over the failure to prevent Easter Sunday attacks and over the Central Bank Bond scam.

“How can this appointmen­t be different from forming a conspiracy government in 2018? Maithripal­a appointed his rival Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister going against the mandate. Gotabaya has also done the same thing today. They are playing with people’s lives and aspiration­s,” he said.

He said the decision taken to appoint Ranil Wickremesi­nghe was a total negligence of the people’s struggle and the proposals put forward by the Mahanayake Theras, Bar Associatio­n on the need to form an interim government for a short period of time to resolve the present crisis situation.

“Even in a democratic aspect, this appointmen­t is not valid. Wickremesi­nghe was rejected by the people at the last election. Gotabaya Rajapaksa also has lost his mandate within two and half years. Both of them have been rejected by the people now. Only Ranil and Gotabaya believe each other. People do not believe any of these two,” he said.

It was Ranil Wickremesi­nghe, who was delaying the proposal to go for an election to form a new government.

“He never mentioned an interim government. He is trying to protect his position received with the blessing of the Rajapaksas,” he said.

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