(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sri Lanka's new government yesterday accused toppled strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa of having tried to stage a coup to cling to power after losing last week's presidential election.
Rajapaksa, South Asia's longest-serving leader before being beaten in Thursday's polls, had been widely praised for conceding defeat to Maithripala Sirisena before the final results were announced.
But a top aide to Sirisena told reporters that Rajapaksa had in fact tried to persuade the army and police chiefs to help him stay in office with the use of force.
"People think it was a peaceful transition. It was anything but," Mangala Samaraweera, who is expected to be named as Sirisena's foreign minister, told a press conference. "The first thing the new cabinet will investigate is the coup and conspiracy by president Rajapaksa.
"He stepped down only when the army chief and the police Inspector General (N K Illangakoon) refused to go along with him." Illangakoon was "very vocal and did not want to be a party to this coup" while army chief Daya Ratnayake also refused to deploy troops for Rajapakse to hold onto power, said Samaraweera.
The attorney general's department had also warned that there would be "dangerous consequences," he said. The head of the army was not immediately available for comment, but military spokesman Ruwan Wanigasooriya said he was "not aware of such a coup attempt".
Samaraweera said foreign powers had also put pressure on Rajapakse, who came in for international criticism during his near-decade in office over his administration's human rights record, to cede office.
Critics have also accused the former president of increasing authoritarianism and a culture of nepotism and corruption.
Samaraweera said it was important for the new administration to disclose what had happened while results were being released, and an independent investigation probe would be a priority. In an address to the nation, Sirisena appealed for a government of national unity to carry out the political and economic reforms he promised in his election campaign.
Rajapaksa suffered another blow when a section of the policy-making central committee of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) broke away and pledged support to Sirisena. Sirisena loyalist Duminda Dissanayake said they had appointed the country's new president as the leader of their party, a move that was immediately challenged by the Rajapaksa camp.
The new president yesterday invited all parties to join his cabinet, which is expected to be finalised by January 19 when parliament opens. A top lieutenant said Sirisena had already received the backing of more than 40 lawmakers previously loyal to Rajapaksa, virtually assuring approval for his programme of radical constitutional reforms.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.