Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who found himself in the middle of a controversy in Parliament early this week, said yesterday that President Rajapaksa was also against the executive presidency and will move to abolish it after the next presidential election.

He made these comments to Sirasa TV’s News Line segment yesterday.

Senaratne said that he has been always against the executive system and added that the executive presidency and the current parliamentary system had taken the country down to the present state.
“President Rajapaksa’s hands were tied because of the war for a few years and he could not move against the executive presidency,” Senaratne said speaking to “News Line” on Sirasa TV last night.

Senaratne also added that the government will change the institution of executive presidency and the electoral system in the right time.

Commenting on the third term of the president, Senaratne said the people should have the right to choose a leader and if the people think Rajapaksa can serve a third term they should be given a chance to elect them. “A piece of paper should not impede the people’s will,” The Minister added.

Senaratne, who had been in the limelight for a possible "jump" to the other side, was recently subjected to verbal attack by several Ministers of the government itself in parliament, on his policies as the Fisheries Minister. It is in the grapevine that he is to be removed from this post.

However, Senaratne, who started his politics as a Leftist politiocian, said that even though Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne might not be there tomorrow, Comrade Rajitha Senaratne will always remain in politics.