Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has revealed three promises given by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in exchange for the Presidency. Premadasa said while usually presidential candidates present their manifestos and are voted in as a result, Wickremesinghe instead gave three promises to the SLPP in order to become president. “He promised to protect SLPP MPs who would loyally vote for him, to grant them compensation for their damaged houses and to not dissolve parliament till the end of its tenure,” he said. Premadasa said the President who has no mandate is a mere puppet of the SLPP and has made promises to the MPs of the party instead of the country’s people. The opposition leader made these comments while addressing a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) rally held in Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura on Tuesday.

He called on the Government that has lost the trust of the people to not engage in dirty politics and to not delay polls as a result of it. He said if the Government continues in its efforts to obstruct the election, the SJB together with the people will take to the streets against it. He also pledged to bring every person who supported the Government to obstruct polls before the law and take legal action against them.

He said the current Government is anti-people and therefore the people must ensure the win of the SJB at the Local Government polls. Premadasa said the win of the SJB at the parliamentary elections next will be inevitable if the party wins the Local Government election. “All our seat organisers will win,” he said, adding that the next President will also be from the SJB.