No one can challenge people’s power: Ranil

(October 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) “There are those who call for a presidential election and say that the winner of the election should wait until the current president is in office for one or two years to take up office. That is a challenge to the people's power,” said Ranil Wickremasinghe, Opposition Leader yesterday.

Addressing a ceremony where UNP members of the Southern Provincial Council took oaths before him at the party headquarters, Srikotha, Mr. Wickremasinghe said that the president would decide whether or not to told a presidential election.

“According to the Constitution in the country, a presidential election has to be held every six years. However, in the Third Clause it states that a president can go for a presidential election after completing four years in office in his first term. That is how the amendment is formulated. Hence the president can reduce his term in office and ask for a new people's mandate.

“If he is appointed according to the people's mandate, then he can stay on as the president or has to hand over the reigns to the other individual.

“What are they trying to say here? They are saying in the event he loses, he would stay back so don't vote for the other party. They want to stop the public from voting. That is against the Constitution of this country. Such a problem was solved in the year 2005. If they want to hold a presidential election, we are ready for it. They also have the right to stay in office for six years and have an election subsequently.

“However, they cannot challenge the people's power,” Mr. Wickremasinghe said.

-Sri Lanka Guardian