Give candidacy to Sajith and no one else: Mangala

The majority of the UNP’s parliamentary group is adamant on nominating Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as the presidential candidate and no one could ignore this popular demand for Sajith as it is the only way to prevent a bigger calamity in the grand old party, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said today.

Responding to a journalist at today’s news briefing at his ministry, Minister Samaraweera said dissensions, dialogues, arguments and rebellions are part and parcel in a democracy as well as in a democratic party and this theory applies to the UNP as well as to the government.

“I firmly believe that the UNP has the ability and the wisdom to arrive at the best decision with the consensus of all political parties that support the UNP, our party membership, parliamentary group and all other stakeholders of the party and field the right man as the presidential candidate as he is will be the absolute winner,” Minister Samaraweera stressed.

“In the US, more than a dozen presidential hopefuls of the Republican Party are in the fray together with President Donald Trump for 2020 presidential polls. The best man will be selected through the party convention. That is how true democracy is practised,” he noted.

Answering another query, Minister Samaraweera said British Prime Minister Theresa May had to give up the fight at last on Brexit issue and give way to Boris Johnson to become the Conservative leader and Prime Minister because British people and politicians think democracy and decency are much more valued than their lives. (Sandun A Jayasekera)