The estrangement between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe has its roots in the former’s desire to remain as President until 2025 and not the ‘crisis’ produced by the results of the local government elections where the parties led by both men suffered heavily.
Sajith and Sirisena | File photo
Colombo Telegraph reported in October 2017 that there were plans for Sirisena to continue as President beyond 2025, although he had pledged on numerous occasions that he would be a one-term president, that he would not contest another presidential election and even said there won’t be another such election.
This was when Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne, MP and Chairman of the committee providing technical support to the constitution-making process told a group of Tamil expatriates in London that the Committee was agreeable to Sirisena being given a second term subject to him being elected through parliament.
According to Wickramaratne, it was a gesture of appreciation of a man who gave leadership to set the constitutional-reform ball rolling. He said that it amounts to a ‘phasing-out of the executive presidency.‘
The complete abolition will happen in 2025, not by promises, but through its scripting in the constitution, he said.
After being briefed on all this, President Sirisena had discussed the proposal with Wickremesinghe, who had rejected it. Wickremesinghe also objected to the constitutional reform packaged introduced by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2000 over a similar transitional provision that would have allowed her to remain as President until 2005.
A dismayed Sirisena had told Wickremesinghe that this would compel him, Sirisena, to work as the leader of the SLFP and in terms of the interests of that party. Wickremesinghe had apparently said that as the leader of the SLFP it is entirely up to Sirisena to do what he believes is best for his party.
Following this, Shiral Laktilleka, one of the key advisors to Sirisena, had arranged a meeting between the President and Sajith Premadasa, a longtime aspirant to the position of UNP Leader.
Colombo Telegraph learns that Premadasa had pledged to back the proposal to keep Sirisena in office until 2025 provided that steps are taken to divest Wickremesinghe of the Prime Minister’s post and that the current imbroglio over the fate of the Prime Minister stems from this process.
Related stories:
Jayampathy Wants Second Term For Maithripala
Jim softy / February 17, 2018
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Sam / February 17, 2018
Last eve news telecast Chamal Rajapakse was shown insisting parliament dissolved and also wanted Prez to to step down and insisting General Elections as well as Presidential Elections be held soon on same day.
Sounds news to me regarding Sajith.
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Nihaall Ratnayake / February 17, 2018
Rubbish
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Singhalese pundit / February 17, 2018
AKD was offered the PM post .
I wonder why he did not accept that offer ..
He would have done a great job for the country ..
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Jim softy / February 18, 2018
for msot things, Ranil is connected. People accuse JVP as “Green Sathake”, Even the Sri lankan airline cap cheif captain says he is taking ab humongous salry, three times the a,ount that the former got, because Ranil said. there are so many different stories like that.
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Jim softy / February 17, 2018
RAVI the LIAR went over 13 trips to Singapore. I heard those suit cases were donated to some one and the final destination was not Singapore, probably in Texas. He had accomapnied one LBatuwanthudawa, innocent partner doing the job, and an Astronaut too. One of them has a plan to build a house in Bandarawela.My question is who paid money to those first class airline tickets or are those free of charge ?
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Good Sense / February 18, 2018
The fact remains that the trio, RW, MS, MR and other aspirants want an executive presidency for them (very much including the lackeys) to enjoy power, fill the pockets and what not. Imagine if Ranil was the President would the bond scam come out to the extent of this nature? Oh! No!. This is Sri Lankan politics and promises, understandings etc. are of secondary nature. In other words NO DECENCY. So that being the bottom line there can be many more Hopper Drama’s. In short can anyone suggest as to whether Lankan politicians have surpassed the thoughts of Machiavelli or not? CHEERS for Sri Lanka.
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Jim softy / February 18, 2018
I heard LTTE had given $ 60,000 to Ranil. LTTE was preparing to hoist Black flags in the North. Ranil had said, don’t do that. You may lose evenwhat you have got. furtheer to that, Even an Indian congress member supported it. Ask politicians money has gone even to Europe, probably Germany..93 is may be the correct number who got money.Even civilians name come.
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Jim softy / February 18, 2018
Some important and prominent lawyers may be paralyzed here because they are faicng conflicts of intersts accusations some prison officer got money. So, the lawyer said I can not do it because I have problems doing it.
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Jim softy / February 18, 2018
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Percy / February 18, 2018
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Jim softy / February 18, 2018
One Damith or Amith Artigala from Veliveriya, S (D) kularathne and one Kavitha (indian Singer?) related people know about Ranil’s history – living in hospital road and mother worked in Kuda Veliveriya hospital. Ranil wanted to work even in the Co-operative society, looking for a business to start.
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Percy / February 18, 2018
Amidst the national political lockdown created by YAHAPALANAYA a direct result of conflicting ambitions of RW and Hora Sira comes this Alice in Wonderland story from a major Sunday Newspaper. It says that RW is well in control of the Govt having got round possible dissidents and goes on to say that RW is a wonderful popular Leader. That left me rubbing my eyes and shaking my head. Is this man having a hangover from the previous nights ganja sesssion, or is it something to do with necrophilia. The Editor goes to bed with a near dead 90 year old woman and it is rumoured that mild rigor mortis has set in. Has this lead story reeking with false propaganda something to do with it.
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Native Vedda / February 18, 2018
Percy the dated pathetic
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The lock down is being experienced by American not here.
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“Is this man having a hangover from the previous nights ganja sesssion,”
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You are supposed to supply them with good quality grass. Greedy pig.
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Percy / February 18, 2018
Stupid Tamil Vedda
Your are sillier than Silly Sena. Be a little more creative without making inane remarks of no significance to any one or any thing. Yes try some grass,the lower the quality the better for your brain,pandi kutty.
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Native Vedda / February 18, 2018
Percy the dated pathetic
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You are simply a fascist thug.
Heil Mahinta.
Heil Gota.
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Percy / February 19, 2018
And what are you? You stupid Tamil coward?
You can’t be a thug. Just a coward hiding somewhere. Cohabiting with the sacred baboon Sampanthan.
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Park / February 18, 2018
It is a must to have a clause in the new Constitution which should ban all “Appa Treats” to any politician in Sri Lanka. I am not sure, looking at today’s political circus, to understand who served “Appa” to whom. If we look at the recent local government elections we notice SLPP won most seats, seconded by UNP and then SLFP. Unfortunately the demand to vacate seat is only pushed against the Prime Minister. But the Prime Minister came second and not third. Who came third, its the President. If the local government election imply that the head of the political party should resign then it should be the President first who is also the head of the Government, followed by Prime Minister next. What about Mahinda, well Mahinda who does not have the back bone to get rid of his SLFP membership and take over the SLPP membership, still calls himself a SLFP member (the leader of SLFP does not have the guts to fire Mahinda from the party) and diverts votes from SLFP, still he got less votes than he got at the Presidential election he lost. Should Mahinda also should give up SLPP? But before the President or before the Prime Minister? I think seeing whats happening in Sri Lankan political stage, I have come to one decision, that is I should have a “Appa Treat” to evaluate and clear my mind.
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Percy / February 18, 2018
Honeymoon over! Bride Ranil asks groom Sirisena to pack up and bugger off.
The bride is asking the dowry back. Fortunately brides father Sobithaya is not there to raise a stink and the mother Chandrika is looking very very confused. What to do aney! They should have eloped.
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anonymous / February 18, 2018
“Fortunately brides father Sobithaya is not there to raise a stink and the mother Chandrika is looking very very confused”
Is this ‘Percy’ is Percy Mahendran R acting as the proxy? Colombo Telegraph must be sued for publishing a comment like the one above. That comment implies that Ven. Sobitha has been having a relationship with CBK and the result of that is Ranil. What a pathetic state CT has fallen into. Are you following Killer Maharaja’s instructions. Expect a law suite very soon. If the Silly Lankan authorities can prosecute a tourist over a Buddha tattoo on her body because she loved the Buddha, Dhamma & the Sangha, this is much more insulting than that.
I bet this Percy is from the ‘Nigantanatha Puttha’ clan, but even he was not this low.
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anonymous / February 18, 2018
Cunning and Idiotic facial expressions of the ‘Gramasevaka’ explains it all. You are a big time looser.
Do not fall for it Sajith, what ever he is up to, he is a snake under grass.
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Native Vedda / February 18, 2018
Percy the dated pathetic
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“Honeymoon over! Bride Ranil asks groom Sirisena to pack up and bugger off.”
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So you are happy that the baby is being aborted. Aren’t you a self harming fascist pig?
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Percy / February 19, 2018
Didn’t get enough Poonac in your thosai today,stupid Tamil Vedda?
Of course I am happy that the baby is aborted . But what Iam dissapointed about is that the Tamil servant of Vedda extraction has stolen the household goods.Typical of these people
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Facts / February 18, 2018
While Sri lankan politicians keep buggering about with their political ambitions and keep trying to white wash each others arse the country is going backwards day by day while neighboring India is going forward in all aspects.
There will come a day soon when Sri lanka and Sri lankans will be a buggered country and society.
Sri lanka politicians are the only specimens in the world who defecate from their mouths and talk through their anus. Yes ! this is a fact and a damned fact at that and a disgusting fact.
The other damned fact are the sorry voters who are another disgusting bloody lot with no brains at all.
It is sad very sad but let them pay the price.
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Anonymous / February 18, 2018
Can any of our Sri Lankan media outlets inform us the citizens if Maithripala bought that Russian rust bucket of a warship at a highly inflated price!!?
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