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Sandasen Marasinghe and Camelia Nathaniel
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Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena made a statement in Parliament today regarding the rumors circulating on social media that the President is ready to resign if the party leaders call for it.
He said this in response to a statement made in Parliament by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa who claimed that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had told him during the party leader’s meeting in the presence of Minister Dinesh Gunawardena that if the party leaders jointly call for it that the President was ready to resign.
“You have wrongly analyzed it. I did not say that. What I said was that if you can get the 113 and go to him he is ready to hand over the government. That is valid even today. So please get the required 113 and go to him. You must understand that the entire 225 do not have the power to ask the president to resign,” the Speaker said.
In response, Sajith Premadasa said, “During a Party Leader’s Meeting you told me that the President had said if all party leaders demanded it, he was ready to resign. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was in front of me when you said it. But, if you are denying it now, then I have to say you are lying.”
Speaker, “I am not lying you are lying; you have wrongly understood it.”
Sajith Premadasa, “Even we were shocked when you said it.”
Speaker, “You have interpreted it wrongly.”
Sajith, “No no, why should I come here and lie? If you made a mistake then you admit it. What I said was exactly what you said without any alterations.”
Speaker, “No you have made a wrong analysis.”
Sajith, “Speaker don’t lie,” he said, calling the Speaker a ‘Tom Pachaya’.
Speaker, “You are a tom pachaya.”
Sajith, “You are a real Pachaya (liar)”.
Speaker, “Don’t lie, it is a disrespect to your position.”
A tense situation arose with the Opposition Leader and the Speaker calling each other liars and the other members making remarks.Sajith Premadasa at this point was clearly annoyed and kept yelling at the government members who were shouting remarks to sit down. He kept yelling, “Wadi Wenawa Hello, halparuwa” (sit down men, loser).
Sajith, “Speaker, when you said it Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was in front of me. I have no need to lie.”
The Speaker kept insisting that he was talking about the 113 and a clearly annoyed Sajith Premadasa responded, “yes, we will show you the 113 very soon. Don’t worry about it. When you said it I told you to get us an appointment with the President. How can you blatantly lie like this? You are a ‘tom pachaya.”
Speaker, “You are the tom pachaya.”
Sajith, “Do you think I am a fool to come and lie about something like this?”
Thursday, April 21, 2022 – 01:07
