YOHAN PERERA 
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MPs rally for snap general election amidst President’s push for Presidential poll
Colombo, March 28 (Daily Mirror) - Following the exclusive revelation by the Daily Mirror on Tuesday that the presidential election will be conducted in the first week of October, MPs from across the divide - except those from the National People’s Power (NPP) - have ramped up efforts to prevail upon President Ranil Wickremesinghe to declare a snap general election as early as possible.
Earlier, Basil Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), requested the President in his one on one meeting that the parliamentary election should precede the presidential election. In his calculation, a parliamentary election at this juncture is more advantageous to his party than a presidential election which is slated to be conducted before October 17.
However, as reported by the Daily Mirror, the President affirmed to the Cabinet of Ministers that he would not call for any snap general election ahead of the presidential election which is on schedule in terms of the Constitution.
The Daily Mirror now learns that some parliamentarians have initiated action for the passing of a resolution in Parliament to be communicated to the President calling for an early general election.
UNP Chairman MP Vajira Abeywardane hinted at it yesterday when he said that only Parliament had to decide whether there should be an early general election or not .
“The presidential election is slated to be held before October 16 this year but Parliament will decide whether there should be an early election or not,” he said.
“The opposition had alleged that the general elections will be postponed in the guise of amending the electoral system. However this allegation is far from being true as the general elections will not be postponed,” he added.
He said the President will unite all political parties and be a national candidate at the next Presidential election. “The President will contest the presidential election as a man who will unite all parties,” he said, indicating that Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming Presidential candidate as a common candidate.
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