Bishop of Colombo expresses shock and dismay over Sirisena’s move

Rt. Revd. Dhiloraj R. Canagasabey, Bishop of Colombo, in a statement said The Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon is shocked and greatly dismayed by the dissolution of Parliament by the President.

Following is the full text of the statement:

This arbitrary act appears to us to be a direct and blatant violation of the clear and express provisions of the Constitution, following the passage of the 19th Amendment.

The actions of the dismissal of a sitting Prime Minister, the appointment of a new Prime Minister, the prorogation of Parliament by the President followed by credible accounts of inducements to MPs to crossover and the shifting stories about the premiership being offered to other members of Parliament are further compounded by this latest action of the President underscoring the fact that the newly-appointed Prime Minister did not command the confidence of Parliament. All these events showcase the sad depths to which ethical and moral standards have deteriorated in this country, despite our external show of religiosity.

The intellectual dishonesty and moral bankruptcy of many of our politicians and especially that of senior politicians of the two major parties is a terrible indictment on the quality of leadership that we have produced in post independent Sri Lanka.

The events of the past weeks have been utterly shameful and sullied the name of our country internationally. At a time of economic difficulty, the administration has been further paralysed and the attention of the country diverted to shallow politicking.

The Diocese of Colombo while calling on all our members to uphold the country in prayer, seeking God’s mercy, guidance and direction affirms our belief that righteousness, justice and truth will ultimately triumph.

We call on the President once again to rise above seeking petty political advantages and to abide by the very solemn promises he made on more than one occasion to uphold the rule of law, good governance and to respect the true spirit of democracy, as well as his obligation to ensure that the Constitution is respected and upheld.