‘Country or party? – decision is with Maithri’ - Minister Arjuna Ranatunga

From SL Mirror
President Maithripala Sirisena will be going against the public mandate he received on January 08 if he allows his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the upcoming general election, says SLFP minister Arjuna Ranatunga.

The president’s decision regarding Rajapaksa will make or break the respect and trust placed in him by the group of SLFPers who have been supporting him, the minister has told BBC Sandeshaya.

If president Sirisena allows the ex-president and his gang to return, they will not allow him to last very long, he said, and asked as to how he could breach the trust placed in him by Rajitha Senaratne, Duminda Dissanayake, former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and others.

Minister Ranatunga went onto say that Rajapaksa and his supporters were provoking communalism in the country through their politics, and president Sirisena cannot engage with such persons.

He also said the president loves the SLFP which he wants to protect, but it is far more important to protect the country than protecting a party.

Not giving nominations to Rajapaksa will break the SLFP into two factions having good and bad people, he said.

Even if the people defeat us and elect a UNP government, at least they will have respect for president Sirisena for having eliminated the thieves and the corrupt before his defeat, he said.

He added that he would have to take a firm decision whether to remain in the party any longer if Rajapaksa is given nominations.