President Mahinda Rajapaksa, speaking to Editors of national newspapers this morning, said that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was his key opponent and not common candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
“Chandrika Kumaratiunga is the main contender in the race and she is using Maithripala Sirisena. The opposition leader is on another side,” the President said at his customary breakfast meeting with newspaper editors.
“But Ranil is the best candidate out of the three because only he has a party machinery,” President Rajapaksa also added.
Commenting on the conduct of the former President, the President said Kumaratunga was acting with vengeance. “She has a valid reason to be like that as I did many things she could not even imagine,’ the President said adding that he does not even feel any “election heat” at the moment.
When asked about the SLFP defectors who push for the abolition of Executive Presidency, the President said they did not utter a word about the Executive Presidency when they were in the government. “Only Wasantha Senanayake voiced his opinion on the matter and he was talking about curtailing powers of the Executive Presidency,” the President explained.
“We never wanted to rake revenge from any person, like the United National Party. Still, there are nearly 400 people working at Temple Trees who were hired during the tenure of President Kumaratunga. Even the one who brings the morning tea was hired during her time,” President Rajapaksa said while responding to the allegations made by the opposition.
Expressing his views on the controversial statement over "files", the President said his remark was being interpreted in various ways. "There are many kinds of files. Even the Cabinet gets various types of files," a smiling President added.
When an Editor asked whether he had any regrets over going for an early election, the President scoffed at the question. “Not at all! Why should I have any regrets?” he questioned while adding that he has already “sacrificed” one year in office.
Speaking of ‘conspiracies’, the President said, he was aware of conspiracies more than anyone else as he grew up in ‘Shrawasti’. “I have seen the way MPs and Ministers conspire from my childhood” he added referring to some incidents that took place in 1964 when the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government was toppled by crossovers.
Commenting on the remarks made by Maithripala Sirisena that he is still the legitimate General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the President said there was no truth in such claims.
“You can find similar people in Angoda too,” President Rajapaksa quipped.
