(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The concept of Good Governance was shattered with the Bond Scam where former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was involved in, within three-months into the Government under him, President Maithripala Sirisena said.
“People elected me to run a corruption free Government and I was fully committed to do so. However, the Bond Scam spoiled that opportunity and shattered the hopes of running a corruption free Government, the President told foreign correspondents in Sri Lanka on Sunday (25).
“This was a major factor that led me to remove Wickremesinghe from the Premiership and appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister,” the President said.
President Maithripala Sirisena said that all recent political decisions including appointing a new Prime Minister, removal of the former Prime Minister, dissolving Parliament and appointing a new Cabinet after dissolving the former cabinet and so on, have been taken by him legally under the provisions of the Constitution.
The President made these remarks after meeting Foreign Media Personnel at the President’s Official Residence yesterday morning.
The President said that owing to various acts of misconduct and narrow sighted and wayward decisions of the former Prime Minister, he couldn’t move forward anymore or govern the country with corrupt elements, who conspired to assassinate him.
The President said it was not his political policy since he is completely against corruption and fraud. “I work in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.
Speaking further President Sirisena added that the proposal of a No-Confidence Motion forwarded to Parliament on 14 November was not tabled under Standing Orders. It is better to exercise a suitable voting system such as an electronic voting system or voting by name when voting for on important issue as changing a Government or appointing a new Government, the President said.
The President said that he will never appoint former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister again. “I have clearly mentioned this to the United National Party (UNP),” he said.
He further said that a Presidential Commission will be appointed to look into the misconduct of the Government, in which Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister from 2015 to 2018.
