Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has thrown an open challenge to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, giving him one week to topple the Yahapalanaya Government.

“I will be going to Switzerland for one week, so, Mahinda has a week to bring down the government,” Wickremesinghe told reporters today. His comments come in the wake of a statement made by the former President that he will return to rule Sri Lanka in 2017.

Wickremesinghe will leave for Switzerland mid this month to take part at the World Economic Forum in Davos from 17 to 20 January 2017.

In December, Mahinda Rajapaksa vowed to topple the current government and reclaim power. Speaking to foreign journalists, Rajapaksa, who is currently a Member of Parliament said, “I don’t want to be the President, but I can still rule the country, without being the President,” he said, hinting at hopes of becoming Prime Minister.

He also expressed his willingness to work with incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena.

Rajapaksa added that even though the current coalition government enjoyed a two thirds majority in Parliament at present, there is a strong possibility of ‘change’ in the future. “Conflicts are already brewing within the SLFP and UNP, and this country can’t go on like this,” he said.