Disrespectful for me to enter parliament through national list - Maithripala
February 17, 2020 02:46 pm
Former President Maithripala Sirisena says he has decided to represent the parliament through public vote instead of the national list.
He mentioned this speaking at a public meeting in the Bakamoona area in Polonnaruwa.
He says that some have questioned his decision to run for the parliament again after serving as a president.
The former President states that he asked the same question when the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) parliamentary group requested him to contest for the parliament again.
According to Sirisena, the MPs had responded saying why he [Sirisena] couldn’t when Mahinda Rajapaksa also re-entered the parliament in 2015. The MPs had further pointed out that there are nearly 60 local government representatives in the Polonnaruwa area and questioned him who would be in charge of Polonnaruwa.
While party seniors have requested him to represent the parliament through the national list instead of the public vote, as the former President of the country, it is disrespectful for him to enter through the national list, he added.
Therefore, he will be contesting at the general election and he has confidence in the people of Polonnaruwa, he further said.
