Making a despicable speech during a rally organized by the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), President Maithripala Sirisena passed a sexual innuendo at Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe saying a gang of ‘butterflies’ ruled the country under Wickremesinghe’s watch.

Sirisena said he wanted to change the Prime Minister as he could not agree with the “butterfly’ rule. “The ones who made important decisions were not the senior Cabinet ministers of the government, but Ranil and his butterfly gang,” Sirisena said, addressing the meeting.

Sirisena also said he first offered the Prime Minister’s post to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya but he turned down the offer saying he could not go against the Prime Minister. “Then I invited Sajith Premadasa to become the Prime Minister and he too turned it down saying he did not want confrontations with the party leader.”

“After both of them refused the position,’ Sirisena said, “I was looking for a man who loved the country and who could join forces with me to strengthen democracy. I found in Mahinda Rajapaksa a man who could topple Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government.”

Sirisena also said he had secured a majority in Parliament and saw no reason to turn back on his decision.

“I urge Speaker Jayasuriya, a staunch Buddhist to speak to the Mahanayakes, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and other religious leaders about the current situation. Act according to their advises and allow the new government to do its job,” Sirisena added.

He said Wickremesinghe was worshipping the western embassies and requesting them to intervene in domestic political matters.

He also said that he explained his position to the UN Secretary-General during the telephone conversation and the latter agreed to extend the fullest support to strengthen democracy in the country. However, the UN Secretary-General’s office, issuing a statement, contradicted President Sirisena’s version of the story and said the UN Chief requested Sirisena to convene Parliament without delay.

Concluding his speech, Sirisena pleaded Ranil Wickremesinghe to step aside and allow the new government to function.

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