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Indicating that his rift with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was far from over, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena spoken about the political situation the country. According to media reports he has reportedly said that he is opposed to forming a national government only to expand the Cabinet of ministers
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe-led government has now sought the consent of the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament to form a ‘national government’, a move seen as a step to get a majority in the 225-member House.
Addressing the nation at the 71st National Independence Day celebrations, Sirisena said the proposed national government is simply an attempt to increase the number of Cabinet ministers and provide privileges to the ministers at the people’s expense. Calling the move unethical, the president said the people’s wish is to limit the Cabinet to 25 ministers.
“I have seen media reports of an attempt to form a national government. I stand opposed to the move as this would be an exercise only to expand the cabinet of ministers and attain more privileges,” Sirisena said referring to the move by Wickremesinghe.
Wickremesinghe was sacked by President Maithripala Sirisena in October last year and strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed the prime minister. The President also removed the members of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from the national unity government.
The UNP, with 106 seats, had joined hands with the Sirisena’s SLFP in 2015 to form a unity government.
Sirisena was forced to reappoint Wickremesinghe as the prime minister after Rajapaksa failed to prove his majority twice in Parliament.
Since his reappointment in December last, the Wickremesinghe-led government has been functioning without the required majority of 113 in the 225-member House.
