We won votes through Lasantha, Thajudeen and Ekneligoda, we sold their names to get here, it is our duty to prosecute their killers and we are determined to do that, said Co-Cabinet spokesperson, Minister Rajitha Senaratne yesterday.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing at the Department of Government Information, Minister Senaratne stressed that the Government would ‘hang’ the killers regardless of their status.
He further observed that whilst there may be shortcomings, the environment had vastly improved in the last three years and the government had steadily improved the legal mechanism to achieve the necessary objectives.
Minister Senaratne revealed that persons who had joined the government after January 8, were responsible for the current state of affairs and that any person who looked to break the coalition should be considered a ‘traitor’.
“When we were looking for a Common Candidate, the Prime Minister initially asked me to be the Common Candidate, but I said no. I would find him a prominent SLFPer for the job. Because we needed to win. People have forgotten the beginnings.Some people think that Maithri alone won this or that Ranil won it; neither is true, it was done together”. When asked if Minister Senaratne saw himself as a Common Candidate in future, he responded with, “That would be a political decision to be made at that time”.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee at its meeting on Tuesday night decided to appoint a Committee to look into whether the party should remain or leave the Unity Government.