President accuses new PM of corrupt leadership
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president has accused newly reappointed
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of corrupt leadership in a scathing speech.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who administered the oath that returned Mr Wickremesinghe to office, voiced doubts about their ability to work together and signalled the two-month political crisis is far from resolved.
He told the prime minister and a group of his politicians he cannot find people of honesty and integrity to help him take the country forward.
“With the issues we have, I am not sure what guarantees we have that we could go on this journey together,” Mr Sirisena told Mr Wickremesinghe.
Mr Sirisena dismissed Mr Wickremesinghe on October 26 and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place, with Mr Wickremesinghe insisting his removal was unlawful.
The Court of Appeal suspended Mr Rajapaksa and his cabinet from functioning in their offices.
The swearing in of Mr Wickremesinghe yesterday took place privately and media not permitted.
In a televised speech, Mr Sirisena said his reasons for firing Mr Wickremesinghe included a lack of interest in helping probe an alleged insider trade during a bond issue, in which an ex- Central Bank governor who is a close friend of Mr Wickremesinghe is implicated.