President Says He Will Never Appoint Wickremesinghe As PM, Blames Wickremesinghe For Stalled Cases

November 25, 2018

President Maithripala Sirisena, during a meeting with foreign correspondents, said he would never appoint ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister again. 

The President told reporters he would not appoint Wickremesinghe to the position, even if the Supreme Court ruled in the UNF's favour. 

"I have already told them, bring me anyone except Ranil Wickremesinghe," the President said. 

He also said Wickremesinghe and former Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake were responsible for the stalled corruption cases. 

"They are entirely at fault," he said. 

However, hitting out at President Sirisena on Twitter, former Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka drew attention to the recent letter circulating the public domain in which President Sirisena instructs IGP Pujith Jayasundara to transfer top CID sleuth IP Nishantha Silva, who was heading several high-profile investigations, citing it as an example of President Sirisena's interference in action. 

'As a responsible Cabinet minister, I have never spoken in public about instances in which (President Sirisena) interfered with high-profile investigations. But if these wild allegations continue, I will be forced to divulge details on who interfered, when, where and how,' the former Minister said.