President, PM vow to continue National Govt. despite friction

• Sirisena insists there will be no link with the Joint Opposition and declares war on the Rajapaksas
• Ranil also insists UNP should continue to work with the SLFP despite fresh disputes over new Constitution and major projects such as the Hambantota port

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, January 08, 2017

President Maithripala Sirisena vowed Tuesday to continue the alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP).
He told a special meeting of SLFP ministers that he would have no truck with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa or his supporters within the party. These ministers were summoned after the weekly ministerial meeting to be told of his plans for 2017. Sirisena who completes two years in office today, enters the third from tomorrow.

His remarks come as friction between the SLFP and the UNP continued to develop. New issues have cropped up over the proposed Constitutional changes as well as a deal with China for the Hambantota Port. Policy decisions on Tuesday by the SLFP ministers prompted an indefinite postponement of the debate in Parliament on a draft Constitution. It was scheduled from tomorrow till Wednesday. Last Thursday, President Sirisena directed Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema not to sign the Concession Agreement with the Chinese firm, China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited, on January 7 (yesterday).

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