News
Sajith claims MS offered him premiership on 71 occasions
By Lalith Chaminda, S.K. Kaluarachchi and Ravindra Chandralal
Former President Maithripala Sirisena asked him 71 times to take up the post of Prime Minister during the Yahapalana administration, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said at Nagoda on Monday.
“He approached me 10 times before 26 October 2018. He asked me 61 times the following year. I couldn’t oppose then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe because he had the support of the majority of MPs. Even President Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked me to take up the post. However, I don’t want to secure posts that way,” he said.
Premadasa said that only a person without scruples could take up posts in a Rajapaksa administration after supporting ‘Gota Go Home’ protests.
“You know there were such people in our party. Now, they can’t even mingle with people without heavy security. We will never welcome them again to the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB),” he said.
The Opposition Leader added that there was a lot of pressure on him to become Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Prime Minister. However, if he had taken up that post, he would not be able to step out of the house, Premadasa said.
“I take decisions thinking ahead. Two of the SJB MPs insisted that I become PM. The two MPs wanted to make money,” he said.
Premadasa said that the decision to withdraw the Gazette, declaring new High Security Zones in Colombo, was the right thing to do.
“The government must stop this witch-hunt against anti-government protesters. Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Convenor, Wasantha Mudalige’s life is in danger. He should be freed at once,” he said.
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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