Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella today responded to President Maithripala Sirisena's unfavourable remarks on the national government at his Independence Day address to the nation. 

Speaking to the media in Kandy, Kriella said the purpose of the motion was to establish a national government in the country that could uphold democracy and the rule of law. 

Kirella presented a motion to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya last week seeking to form a national government with 48 Cabinet ministers and 45 state and deputy ministers. 

The Leader of the House asserted that the motion he presented in Parliament was perfectly in line with the Constitution. 

The Minister urged the critics of the national government to recall how they behaved when former President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed a Cabinet of 60 ministers. 

 President Maithripala Sirisena this morning said he did not agree with the UNP's plans of forming a national government with a party that has only one seat in Parliament. 

Sirisena said the formation of a national government of that nature was only aimed at increasing the number of Cabinet ministers. 

He added that a 25-member Cabinet was sufficient for the government as only one political party was running the government.