28 August 2019 07:02 pm Views - 3394
Non-Cabinet Minister Ajith P. Perera today said there is a conspiracy from the opposition and some in the UNP to stage a constitutional coup to abolish the executive presidency without holding a presidential election just to avoid UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa from becoming the president of this country.
“The opposition camp is favorable towards the coup as the SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa is at a disadvantage. Some in the UNP are also supporting this to prevent Mr. Premadasa from becoming the president,” Minister Perera told journalists today.
“We are also of the opinion that executive presidency should be abolished but we are against a sudden move to do it now as the calling of nominations for the presidential elections is just weeks away. This is a conspiracy to prevent Mr. Premadasa from becoming the candidate of the UNP and to prevent him from becoming the president of this country,” he said.
However, Mr. Perera said there will be a happy ending to all political dramas at the end. There will be a happy ending for all political dramas including the disciplinary inquiries, UNP’s struggle for forming an alliance and naming the presidential candidate,” he said in this regard.
Minister Perera made this remark in response to questions raised by the journalists as to what would happen if the UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa does not get the party’s nod to contest as its candidate for the presidential election, Mr. Perera said he and others who are backing Mr. Premadasa firmly believes that he would be named the candidate from the party. Also, he said the UNP will never break up as suggested by many.
Also, Mr. Perera revealed that leaders of several constituent parties of the UNP had wanted Mr. Premadasa to be named as the candidate as soon as possible while leaders of few other UNP allies have wanted a candidate who could with the elections.
He questioned as to why UNP has not taken disciplinary action against those who crossed over from the UNP to other parties and those who brought discredit to the party from their involvement in the bond issue. Mr. Perera said he had not got any official letter asking him to come for an inquiry from the party. (Yohan Perera and Chathuranga Samarawickrama)
Video by Susantha