President Sirisena says appointed RW to PM post as a mark of respect to the constitution

President Maithripala Sirisena in a lengthy statement following the swearing-in ceremony of Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that he appointed Mr. Wickremesinghe to the post of Prime Minister as a mark of respect to the constitution and parliamentary traditions.

The Presidents Media Division issuing the special release said the President had made these remarks at a special meeting  held with UNP parliamentarians following the swearing in ceremony of Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The release said the view expressed by the President stating that he would not appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister even if he had the majority of 225 MPs was a personal political opinion.

President Sirisena had explained that the power to appoint the Prime Minister was vested with the President alone and not the legislature or the judiciary.

He had proceeded to justify the appointment by claiming that the appointment was made since a majority of 117 MPs had voted in favour of Mr. Wickremesinghe.

According to the statement, the President  had taken  such measures as the dissolution of Parliament,  the appointment of the Prime Minister and the removal of the prime minister not by his own will  but by the advice of the highest legal experts of the country and that those decisions were made in good faith on behalf of the motherland and not in a way to violate the constitution.

He further said he hopes in the future the government will work and move forward without any conflicts. Adding that conflicts will only push back the country further and that in order to build the country for the future what is required is a political movement free of corruption.

The full statement is given below