Ranil to continue as PM should Sajith form a government

United National Party (UNP) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa today (Sept 26) said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will serve as Prime Minister, under his government.

“This isn’t a problem about choosing a Prime Minister. It is the presidential election,” Mr. Premadasa said in his first news conference after announcing his candidature.

He emphasised that he would create a society that focuses on equality, prioritises the people, and continues the pledges of the current government including the abolition of the executive presidency.

“We will carry out power sharing, introduce electoral reforms, and abolish the executive presidency, with the support of all parties forming an alliance with the UNP,” he stated.

The UNP candidate added that he would pay special attention to the people of the North who had been badly affected by the war, while also treating other sections of the society equally.

Minister Premadasa is expected to contest under the UNP-led Democratic National Front alliance which would be represented by a symbol of a swan at the upcoming polls.

“Anyone who shares the same policy of ours can join the alliance,” he said responding to whether the UNP would be willing to accommodate the President Maithripala Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

President Sirisena has been hugely critical of the UNP, and has reiterated that he would not join hands with the partysince the SLFP withdrew from the coalition government with the UNP, in October last year.

While stating that he would put forth his manifesto in near future, the presidential candidate claimed that his policy has been clean and transparent.

Minister Premadasa remained upbeat on defeating opposition presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa – a frontrunner in the presidential race.

“I am absolutely confident (of defeating Rajapaksa). I know that a vast majority of the country are with me,” he observed.

(Pix by Indika Handuwala)