President’s coordinator declares war on Ranil!

Tuesday, 17 March 2015 

Lawyer Shiral Lakthilake, a coordinator of president Maithripala Sirisena, has publicly declared war on prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Lakthilake is saying that he will render the premier politically helpless by handing over his position to Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera under a caretaker government until such time a general election is held without dissolving parliament, if the UNP leaves the government demanding a dissolution of parliament in April-end. He says he has already held a preliminary round of talks with SLFP MPs.

He is also leading efforts to create an opinion among SLFP MPs that a general election should be held only after parliament’s adoption of the new constitutional amendment for the abolition of executive powers of the presidency and for a new electoral system based on the proposal put forward by Sobhitha Thera’s National Movement for a Just Society and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera’s Pivithuru Hetak on behalf of the common opposition candidate at the presidential election.

If Sobhitha Thera refuses to accept the premiership, Lakthilake and his group are intending to name Rathana Thera to the position. This group also wants to move a no confidence motion against Mr. Wickremesinghe on the basis of the controversial Central Bank bond issue.

Meanwhile, it is reported that CB governor Arjuna Mahendran has temporarily taken leave from his official duties and gone overseas with his family. Perpetual Ltd., owned by his son in law Arjuna Aloysius, too, has been temporarily closed, and its website has become inactive.