In response to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s claims in Parliament today that he harbored ambitions to become Prime Minister before May 9, 2022, former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Saliya Pieris PC, categorically rejected these assertions.
Taking to Facebook, Pieris clarified that the President had mentioned his name in Parliament, falsely asserting his ambitions for the Prime Ministerial position.
Pieris pointed out that these baseless allegations were made under the shield of Parliamentary immunity, which prevents an immediate rebuttal.
“I am compelled to say that, unlike politicians of his ilk, I have never prioritized personal ambitions over the needs of the country. I have never sacrificed my principles for personal gain or the allure of office,” stated Pieris in his Facebook post.
Highlighting the context of the BASL proposals presented in May 2022, Pieris emphasized that they were not centered around individuals. Instead, they were meticulously crafted by the Executive Committee and endorsed by the Bar Council. According to Pieris, these proposals were conceived by the legal community with the intention of offering a solution to Sri Lanka’s political and governance crisis, keeping the interests of the country and its people in mind.
