T.Ramakrishnan

The episode of the exit of former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Arjuna Mahendran and the appointment of his successor Indrajit Coomaraswamy has not created any bitter feeling between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said on Wednesday.

Answering questions of THE HINDU at the weekly press briefing, Dr. Senaratne said there was no “SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party)-UNP (United National Party)” dimension to the issue. “In fact, after this issue, they [Mr Sirisena, who also heads the SLFP, and Mr Wickremesinghe, the UNP chief] have become closer and friendlier”

Asked whether the episode marked the beginning of the end of the alliance between the two leaders, the Cabinet spokesperson, considered a close aide of Mr Sirisena despite being elected on the UNP ticket in the August 2015 parliamentary elections, retorted that ‘this is what [former President Mahinda] Rajapaksa wants.” He also alleged that the Rajapaksa camp wanted to “topple the government” before its legal cases picked up momentum. His colleague and Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media, Karunarathana Paranawithana also responded, saying that the issue signified the commencement of the end of “their [Rajapaksa’s] politics.”

Two senior members of the UNP – Eran Wickramaratne, Deputy Minister of State Enterprises and Gayantha Karunathilaka, Cabinet Minister in charge of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media – were also present at the press briefing and they did not offer any comment.

Courtesy:The Hindu