President rejects Maithri’s support

Colombo, August 16 (Daily Mirror) - A request made by former President Maithripala Sirisena to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential election was rejected by the President. 

Former President Maithripala Sirisena made his request to the President through an intermediary.

Addressing a meeting as a representative of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) election committee in the Beliatta area, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that by now the Maithri-Wijeyadasa cohabitation is over. 

"Even though Sirisena was the former chairman of our party, he ultimately lost all those who helped him. He cheated. His entire history is about deceiving people," he said.

"Recently, Wijedasa Rajapakshe was appointed as the Chairman of the SLFP. Even the court ruled that it was illegal. Now Wijedasa Rajapakshe is contesting the Presidential election with a different front. As we have heard, our former President Sirisena has also confused Wijedasa Rajapakshe. Now he is looking elsewhere," the Minister said.

Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe, who said that 95 percent of the SLFP members are with him, does not even have five percent today. But he is a good person and he is my friend. The former chairman of our party has reached a point where he has nowhere to go. No party wants to accept him. He destroyed his social confidence. He must be looking for a lot of garbage somewhere now. Join it. But we are saddened that a former President has sunk to such a low level," he said.

"At this Presidential election, the candidate we support will win. We are giving our fullest support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the new alliance led by the Podujana Eksath Peramuna and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Therefore, all the people representing our party support him," he said.

"President Wickremesinghe is the person who rescued this country from the crisis it was in. He has a vision and a successful plan for it. All our organisers are working to get the maximum number of votes from all the districts of our country," he said.

The Minister also said that therefore he requests all to start those activities today.