SLPP faults former Speaker for backing reconvening of P’ment

• Accuses Jayasuriya of being inconsistent 
• Claims opposition parties only wants to reconvene P’ment to disrupt Govt.’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts 
• Says Govt. will take steps to employ people who lose jobs due to virus

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday criticised former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for seemingly changing his stance on reconvening Parliament after opposition political parties backed the move and issued a joint letter to the President.

Jayasuriya, on 22 April, in a Twitter message said he would not reconvene the Parliament unilaterally and pointed out that the country does not want a constitutional crisis. Following the request of opposition parties to reconvene Parliament, the former Speaker took to twitter again this week and said the opposition parties’ joint letter requesting the President to reconvene Parliament was “timely and well-intended”.

However, on Thursday, President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara wrote to former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, dismissing the letter and reiterating that President Rajapaksa will not reconvene Parliament. 

Speaking to reporters in Colombo, former State Minister and SLPP senior member Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena charged Jayasuriya had changed his earlier stance of not wanting a constitutional crisis by supporting the opposition parties’ request for the President to reconvene Parliament. 

“Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya earlier said he will not do anything that creates a constitutional crisis. However, after the joint letter of the opposition political parties was sent, Jayasuriya changed his stance and said that he would not object to summoning the Parliament. This is how he has acted for the past four and a half years. His actions raise a lot of concerns about his impartiality,” he charged.

According to Abeywardena, Jayasuriya cannot summon Parliament as only the President was vested with the necessary powers. He charged the opposition political parties were attempting to create a constitutional crisis to sabotage the Government’s efforts to contain COVID-19.

“If somehow Parliament was reconvened, the opposition will use their majority to sabotage the Government’s relief measures. Looking at their past, I would not be surprised even if they create a constitutional crisis,” he added.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, former MP and senior SLPP member Gamini Lokuge said the Government will assure job security of workers as the economy is affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Speaking at the same press conference, former MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the Government will take necessary measures to provide employment opportunities to those who lost their jobs due to the virus. However, he did not give details of how the Government will go about this task.