Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has no intention to be in power beyond his term without seeking re-election following the democratic norms, Minister of Mass Media, Information and Enterprise Development, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said today.
The Minister was refuting a report by a Sunday weekly that said Sri Lanka was planning to introduce constitutional amendments in order to extend the term of office of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, without holding a presidential election.
Sunday Times newspaper quoting Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Janaka Bandara Tennakoon said that as a prelude to the introduction of constitutional changes, an island wide campaign on gathering public support for the move had been initiated.
While acknowledging that there was indeed a popular call by the people for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to continue for a further period uncontested, Minister Yapa emphasized that the wish of the President was to seek re-election following democratic norms.
According to the Sunday Times report, as a first step, local government members including a section of opposition UNP members who met in Colombo on Friday, backed a resolution moved by Minister Tennakoon.
Similar resolutions are to be moved at Provincial Council and Pradeshiya Sabha level, before presenting the amendment to the Parliament, the report added.
Minister Yapa said though the President is very popular now and people will definitely respond positively in his favour at an election, he firmly believes in the peoples' mandate and the freedom of the voters' franchise rights, and has no intention to be in power beyond the period mandated by the ballot.
The President can call a presidential election after November19, 2009 or after he completes his first term in office in 2011, Minister Yapa informed.
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