Gota asks for two National List slots

Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has asked the President to remove two UPFA National List MPs from parliament and to appoint two Tamil youths from the North to parliament.

The Defence Secretary has explained to the President that the people in the North did not have confidence in the Tamil MPs in the government and therefore a new political leadership needed to be built in order to get closer to the Northerners. He has said that several youths who could be appointed to parliament have already been identified by him.

The Defence Secretary has reiterated that the government could not move forward with the war victory until a new political leadership was built in the North. He has noted the Ministers Dougals Devananda, Karuna Amman and Pillayan would not be of much help at times of an election.

The President has agreed with the Defence Secretary’s statement, but has pointed out that although he too had wanted several National List MPs from the UPFA to resign, no one has agreed to it.

The political situation in the North had been discussed when the President had summoned the Defence Secretary to ask if he did not have any intention of entering politics.

The Defence Secretary has said he had no intention of entering politics.

It is the editor of a weekly national newspaper who had advised the President to get a clear response from the Defence Secretary on whether he wanted to enter politics or not.