Sri Lankan president seeks consensus on national issues

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has extended an open invitation to all political parties to support his 100 day plan for the country.

Speaking at an event held to commemorate his victory on Monday at the recent presidential elections, Sirisena said that he has no intention of taking revenge on anyone who voted against him at the election.

He said that the last presidential election saw the most violations taking place where national resources were used by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the campaign ahead of the election day.

He also said that if he lost the election he risked a threat to his life and he was also aware of an attempt to arrest his family members.

However, he noted that the support he had from the public and the political parties and organizations which backed him for president, ensured he won the polls.

Sirisena also said that he had decided to accept the chairmanship of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which was earlier led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as he needs the support of the SLFP in parliament to implement the 100-day program.

The president said that he needs a two-third majority in parliament to make constitutional changes so that he will work with the SLFP and other political parties in that respect.

Sirisena won the January 8 election after he promised changes within 100 days after which he hopes to dissolve Parliament and hold a Parliament election.

United National Party (UNP) leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that his party will reconsider nominating at the next election UNP members who go against party decisions.

He said that while most UNP members had respected the party decision not to take revenge on the opposition following the recent presidential elections, a few members had violated that decision. Endi