Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has denied opposition leader MP Sajith Premadasa’s statement claiming that he had said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ready to resign if all party leaders requested him.
Addressing Parliament today, MP Premadasa revealed that the Speaker had made such a statement during the party leaders’ meeting and the party leaders were ready to do so.
The opposition leader also called on the Speaker to provide an opportunity for the party leaders to convey the request to the President.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has denied making such a statement during the party leaders’ meeting, as claimed by the opposition leader.
The Speaker said he had only stated that if the opposition can show a majority of 113 seats then the President is prepared to resign.
He further said MP Premadasa had misunderstood his statement in this regard.
However, MP Premadasa stood his ground and said that the Speaker had made the statement he revealed in Parliament earlier and proceeded to call him ‘Tom Pachchaya’ (blatant liar).
In response, the Speaker shot back at the opposition leader, stating “it is you who is lying.”
Although initially when the opposition leader made the statement during the morning session the Speaker had remained quiet, he had, however, refuted the statement hours after it was made in Parliament. (NewsWire)