Sri Lankan Prime Minister and leader of the SLPP, Mahinda Rajapaksa, told reporters that he was confident his party would secure a two-thirds majority, and if not he would “make arrangements” if the party does not receive it during the election.
Speaking to journalists at Weeraketiya, where he cast his vote, Rajapaksa claimed;
“There is a need for a parliament with a two-thirds majority. We are ready to face the economic challenges. We have already faced challenges more severe than these”.
He further claimed that the President’s programme which had the support of 6.9 million people, would be continued to be implemented following the General Election.
Rajapaksa’s statement follows increasing alarm by the international community over the authoritarian direction Sri Lanka is heading towards.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s President, has appointed two new Presidential Task Forces, which have garnered much criticism from the international community as a “threat to the rule of law”.
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement also follows a joint statement by eleven international human rights organisations which spoke out against the targeted detention and intimidations of lawyers, activists, human rights defenders, and journalists in Sri Lanka.
Read more from the Daily Mirror.
