Staying or leaving? Duminda asks Mahinda

Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa should make a public declaration as to whether he would remain patron of the SLFP and work for its victory, or else, would leave to form a new party, said general secretary, minister Duminda Dissanayake.

The SLFP has done no injustice to Rajapaksa and he has no reasonable reason to leave the party, Dissanayake said.

He said the ex-leader was yet to inform the party about his future plans.

The party general secretary was responding to a remark by Rajapaksa at the opening of a SLFP office at Horagasmandiya in Urubokka, in which he said a new political force was certain and all have a responsibility to form a strong opposition.

He claimed he was the only person not to betray the SLFP to the UNP, alleging that many in politics at present have done so.

Country cannot have 2 leaders

Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe are leaders who differ in their thinking and expectations, but both wanted to defeat him, said Rajapaksa.

Two leaders cannot rule the country, it should be either Sirisena or Wickremesinghe, he went onto say.