A fresh controversy has arisen over former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's alleged phone call to Prime Mimister Ranil Wickremesinghe asking the latter to remain in the position, without succumbing to the pressure to step down.

This was revealed by the weekly Cabinet briefing today, by Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne who cheekily said even former President Rajapaksa, the de facto leader of the Joint Opposition, wanted Wickremesinghe to remain in power. 

The statement, however, irked both the SLFP as well as JO supporters as it undermined their efforts to form a government on their own.

When former President Rajapaksa visited Abhayaramaya, Narahenpita, this afternoon, a group of journalists asked whether he contacted Wickremesinghe over the phone and asked the Premier not to resign from his position. 

“I have already called publicly for a resolution to be passed in parliament and for a general election to be declared. Both the President and the Prime Minister don’t have a mandate to rule this country anymore," Rajapaksa responded. 

However, the former President, being the astute politician that he is, artfully dodged the question whether or not he contacted Prime Minister over the phone.