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Sri Lanka's ruling party demands holding of elections soon

Xinhua, June 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lanka's ruling United National Party (UNP) on Monday said that it is to write to President Maithripala Sirisena demanding that the parliament be dissolved and election be held.

UNP Parliamentarian and Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera said that the UNP Working Committee had decided that Parliament must be dissolved soon.

He said that the position of the UNP is that it supported President Maithripala Sirisena at the Jan. 8 Presidential election to create a 100 day government and not a 200 day government.

Perera said that with the mandate of the government ending on April 23 the UNP does not want to remain in the government anymore and wants Parliament elections to be held.

"The public gave us a clear mandate to appoint a new president and implement a 100 day program. We have successfully completed the 100 day program," he said.

The Deputy Minister also raised concerns over moves to push for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and comments made by some opposition members that they want a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Government appointed without holding elections.

Perera said that the UNP sees the no-confidence motion as a form of threat from the opposition.

The UNP Parliamentarian said that his party is confident the UNP will get the support of the public to form the next Government at the Parliament election.

He also said that after the Parliament election, the UNP is still determined to form an all-party government as agreed on with President Maithripala Sirisena before the Jan. 8 Presidential election. Endi