We have never asked for premiership for Mahinda
Wimal and Udaya
Wimal Weeravansha and Udaya Gammanpila have said at a meeting held yesterday that they have so far never asked
President Maithripala that Mahinda be made the Prime Minister. And neither that they had worked towards that end and that Mahinda is needed to win the Alliance and that the Alliance is not needed to win Mahinda.On a question posed by the media at a meeting held at Narahenpita Abhayarama whether the efforts taken by all of them to make Mahinda the Prime Minister, the two of them had responded in the following manner: "The point of making Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa the Prime Minister candidate does not depend on a procedure adopted by the President. As such, that problem is not so important to us. We didn't start this campaign from February 18th with the belief that the President would give an opportunity for the former President. Although Mahinda is necessary for the Alliance to gain victory, the Alliance is not required for Mahinda to win. We have on no occasion asked President Maithripala to make Mahinda the Prime Minister. We don't even want it so".
This is what former Minister G.L. Peiris has expressed as his opinion at this meeting: "A certain Minister who is the Cabinet Spokesman had made a statement the next day that our genuine requirement is sabotage. Because of that, that whole procedure collapsed. We believe that he may have expressed the standpoint of the President".