TIL Desk/World/Colombo/ Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday he and his United National Party (UNP) are opposed to the capital punishment, as President Maithripala Sirisena attempts to end a 43-year moratorium on death penalty to start executing drug convicts.
Sirisena said on Wednesday he was committed to bringing back capital punishment for drug offenders, months after vowing a tougher line on spiralling narcotics-related crime. This was despite Sri Lanka having become a party to the UN moratorium on death penalty and voting in favour of the moratorium just six months back.
The international condemnation of decision to resume capital punishment has been coming since the President made his announcement. “I have discussed it with at least four parties in parliament and all of them are opposed to the capital punishment. I and my party are also opposed to it,” Wickremesinghe.
This
is not the first time that the two leaders have difference of opinions.
Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe last October, triggering a constitutional crisis
in the country.
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