Reacting to President Maithripala Sirisena’s letter to his predecessor, the General Secretary of the UPFA Susil Premajayantha says that the leaders of the party, including him, have already given their signatures for appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa as the next Prime Minister.

Speaking at an event in Homagama last night, he stated that the person who has a majority of support in Parliament will be appointed as the Prime Minister and that even the incumbent President has now admitted that the UPFA would win at the polls. 

He assured that Rajapaksa would be appointed as the Prime Minister after the UPFA claims victory at the General Election. 

In a strongly-worded letter, President Sirisena had yesterday stated that if the UPFA obtains 113 seats, the minimum number required for forming a government, at the forthcoming General Election, then the Prime Minister should be a senior member of the party who has not received the opportunity so far.     

He also states that if in some way the UPFA is unable to obtain 113 seats, he could intervene as the Executive President in order to obtain the remaining seats required to form a government. 

However, the Prime Minister should be a senior member of the party and not Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President says, adding, that there are more than enough veteran and mature politicians in the party for that role. 

Sirisena named seven other party seniors, including Rajapakse’s elder brother Chamal Rajapakse, as potential prime ministerial candidates should their party win. 

In his letter, Sirisena also accused Rajapakse of fuelling communal hatred. 

“I urge you not to make statements that fan the flames of ethnic hatred,” Sirisena said in his letter, copies of which were released to the press.