"I'll hit back too" - Sirisena threatens retaliation & says 2/3 majority in SLFP hands

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former President Maithripala Sirisena threatened retaliation at the comments made by Minister Mahindananda regarding the former President's expenditures.

A heated situation also arose in the Parliament between the two MPs due to this situation, when the former President denied all the allegations leveled against him by MP Mahindananda.

Sri Lanka’s Former President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday (25) said that the 2/3 majority of the Sri Lankan Government is wielded by the 14 Members of Parliament representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

“The members must think very carefully about the 2/3 majority and the governance,” he told the house recalling instances when the governments of the Late Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Late J. R. Jayawardena, and Chandrika Bandaranaike failed when attempting to hold on to power.

Over the past five decades, all governments have demonstrated what would happen when there are internal conflicts and the present government is an alliance, he told the Parliament.

Speaking at the Parliament, the former President stated that the allegations with regard to him residing in three houses combined together are untrue, including the allegations about the former President using 200 vehicles.

Moreover, the former President also rationalized that Rs. 3.5 billion was utilized by him during his tenure for a total of seven projects implemented by him, which remains non-operational today.

State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara also responding to the statements of Minister Mahindananda alleged that certain MPs level different allegations with regard to the former President, and said that any President may have a fleet of vehicles allowed for their usage, and warned Minister Aluthgamage against digging up old issues, and stated that problems such as these can be solved via democratic discussions.

Meanwhile, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the Leader of the House assured that no problems have arisen between the SLFP and the Government and emphasized that this issue is not a serious one to be considered as a political issue between the parties.

However, Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage responding to the former President's speech stated that the former President had spent Rs. 3.73 billion whilst the current President has spent only Rs. 1.2 billion in 2020, and further alleged that the former President was indeed residing in the three houses which formerly belonged to President D.B. Wijetunga, Minister Sarath Amunugama, and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Speaking further, Aluthgamage said that some political parties went after the farmer and branched out into the village, whilst some had owners of paddy mills sponsor their previous campaigns. Cautioning that he will not be speaking beyond that, Minister Mahindananda said that he is ready to apologize to anyone in public if he made a mistake with regard to his allegations.

Meanwhile, the former President again responded to Minister Mahindananda's statement saying that retaliation is to be expected if they are indeed hit, and also warned against internal conflicts within Parties, which could lead to their division and downfall at the next election.

Speaking further, the former President alleged that Minister Mahindananda had lied to the President, the Cabinet, the Parliament, the people. Lied to the farmers, the customers and made the Government become displeased with the agricultural crisis, and leveled allegations against Minister Mahindananda, stating that there is no use in him attempting to lift the President up by downgrading other party leaders.