President Maithripala Sirisena ruled out the possibility of snap presidential polls yesterday, and vowed to complete his five year term in office, down to the day even as speculation was rife in political circles about the possibility of an early election.
“I am the only one who can call a snap election, but I have no intention of doing that. There is unnecessary speculation about an early election.” President Maithripala Sirisena said at a political meeting in Nivithigala, Rathnapura, last evening.
“I will not call elections even a day earlier than they are due,” he vowed.
Addressing a meeting of SLFP party organisers at Nivitigala, the President also stressed the need to focus on the next Prime Minister rather than the next President. “Under the 19th amendment Prime Minister of the country will be more powerful than the President after future elections. Therefore everyone should look into electing the best suitable candidate as the Prime Minister,” President said.
President Sirisena also took swipes at his coalition ally the UNP and the pro-Rajapaksa SLPP, saying both parties overestimated their electoral strength, and insisting that both factions would need the support of the SLFP to form a Government.Speaking to the Sunday Observer, M.M. Mohamed the Additional Commissioner of the Elections Commission told that If the next Presidential Election is to be held on due time, the election has to be taken place between November 8, 2019 and December 8, 2019.
“According to the legal provisions, the next Presidential Election should be held a time less than two months and a time more than one month prior to the expiry date of current term. Therefore the next presidential Election should take place on a day between 08 November and 08 December 2019” he explained.
President Sirisena’s term is due to end in January 2020. President Maithripala Sirisena pledged to the public for abolishing Executive Presidency once he come into power and at the very first attempt Government brought 19th Amendment with purpose of reducing powers of the Executive President. However due to the restrictions made by the Supreme Court, the 19th Amendment could not seek for a total reduction of power of the Executive Presidency without a referendum.