President Maithripala Sirisena, addressing a public meeting in Nikarawetiya today, said that he was prepared to step down and fight against corruption together with the people.

In what appeared to be a veiled attack on comments made by International Trade State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe the President said, “If there is any undue criticism and complaints against the decisions I have made to end corruption and fraud, I am ready to step down and fight corruption from among the people.”

Senasinghe on Tuesday said he was ‘disappointed’ with the President, alleging him to have acted with the intention of destroying the United National Party (UNP) by appointing the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Bond issue to investigate incidents from 2015 onwards only.

Senasinghe said the President wanted to destroy the UNP and the Rajapaksa’s before the 2020 Presidential elections and said it was sad the President was stopping low to destroy the future of the ‘young politicians’ in the country, even while protecting his children who were the same age.

At the public meet in Nikarawetiya the President said, “No matter what anyone says, I have been committed to a clean political culture throughout my 50 years of political life. I will act with patience and equanimity, with the experience of that long political journey. I am no stranger to the political arena.”