President explains death penalty decision to UN Secretary-General

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday disclosed that he had spoken with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres over the telephone on Thursday night and explained the reasons for implementing the death sentence in Sri Lanka.

Speaking at a ceremony at Lankapura Vijitha Maha Vidyalaya in Polonnaruwa yesterday, the President stressed that nobody should try to reverse his decision to execute the death penalty.

Observing that he had signed the death warrants on four convicted drug traffickers, the President said that his intention was to save the nation and future generations from a grave social plague. He stressed that anybody who speaks against his decision to implement the death penalty supports the illicit drug business.

“My decision was not made out of hatred of anybody. The death penalty on drug peddlers is needed to save the school children, university students and the youth from the drug menace, which is spreading day by day,” he said.

He pointed out that he had been waging a fight against drugs for a long period, adding that it has now successfully come to the final stage.

The President declared open the newly constructed three-storeyed building, housing 15 class rooms at Lankapura Vijitha Maha Vidyalaya, built at a cost of Rs 30 million under the ‘Pibidemu Polonnaruwa’ district development programme. Rs 50 million was granted to the school, on a request by school children, to buy necessary equipment for the new building.

(Source: Daily News)