The President, responding to the letter sent by the Opposition Leader claiming the Premiership, said he decided to invite Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime minister after several rounds of deliberations with other party leaders.
The President elaborated and stated that he held several rounds of talks with other party leaders after the Leader of the Opposition refused to accept the Premiership.
“On the 6th of May, the Cabinet of Ministers reached a consensus to pave the way for the new government. I invited you to take over the mantle as the Prime Minister as per the Cabinet endorsement. You promised to come back after discussing with the SJB membership, but there was no response until the resignation of the Prime Minister on the 9th of May.
On the 10th of May, having addressed the press, you rejected the offer. As the Executive, I had no alternative but to invite Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has a wealth of experience behind him and worked as the Prime Minister on many occasions”.
The President had emphasised that he was not in a position to change his decision under the circumstances.
However, the President has invited the SJB to nominate a few members to be a part of the Cabinet, considering this endeavour a significantly important issue in the national interests.
