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No early elections: President
President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that the next presidential election would not be held before the scheduled date.
President Sirisena addresses the SLFP Youth Front meeting at Nivitigala last morning
The President who was addressing an SLFP Youth Front meeting in Nivitigala last morning said “many persons including some senior ministers are saying there will be an early presidential poll. But I am the one who will decide on the date of the election. It will not be held before the due date” he said.
He added that under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, it is the prime minister who has the most power and voters should be vigilent as to whom they wish to elect as the next prime minister .
“Voters must elect as prime minister a person who is not corrupt, not involved in fraud and is not a robber,” he said.
He said both the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the United National Party (UNP) had been giving their own versions of the recent Janabala Meheyuma.
Some say the event was a success, while others claim it was a flop.
“Going by the SLPP’s performance at the last LG poll, they can win only 102 seats in parliament. The SLFP, in the meantime has increased it voter-base from 1.5 million since that poll to 2 million today. Whoever wants to form the next government will need the support of the SLFP “, he said.
The President added that people can expect a very important announcement from him at the SLFP Convention later this month.