Common candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirisena has challenged President Rajapaksa for a debate on good governance on January 1, 2015.

Speaking at a rally at Balapitiya, Galle District, he said that he will teach President Rajapaksa what good governance is and he will take part in the debate without a single piece of paper.

Sirisena added that the Rajapaksa government has not done anything significant to improve the living standards of the people in the country despite enjoying a two thirds majority in the parliament. The only thing the government did was to pass the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which increased the powers of the executive, he added.

Sirisena said that he will initiate programs to improve the working conditions of state workers, armed forces and police personnel, who have been reduced to merely surviving during the last few years. Sirisena also promised to improve the international stature of Sri Lanka.