Sajith believes justice will be served through the judiciary 

Deputy Leader of the United National Party, Sajith Premadasa speaking at the Supreme Court complex in Hulftsdorp yesterday said he firmly believes that fairness and justice will be achieved through the judiciary of the country.

The President’s dissolution of Parliament is a violation of the country’s constitution and this would lead to anarchy in the country, the deputy leader of the UNP said.

“We firmly believe that we will receive justice and the fair play from the Supreme Court rightly since it is the most honorable place. We have a constitution. We do everything according to that. But the President dissolving the Parliament is a violation of the constitution. If constitution is continually being violated, the country would become anarchy,” the UNP deputy leader said.

Responding to media questions, Premadasa said the UNP is not afraid of facing ‘legal’ elections conducted following the constitutional procedures but they are afraid of ‘illegal’ elections held according to the ‘jungle law’.

The deputy leader said he is always ready to take the leadership but there is a systematic procedure that needs to be followed to take power.

General Secretary of the United National Party Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said as a party they trust the judiciary to give a fair ruling. “The court will determine the constitutionality of the matter we have presented. That is why we came to the court.”

Former Minister and former leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella said a country cannot be ruled by gossip. “Therefore, in order to dissolve the Parliament, the majority of the Parliament needs to be agreed. Since it was not possible they (the President) dissolved the parliament. We came to court against this injustice.”

Several political parties including the UNP filed petitions at the Supreme Court today against the President’s act to dissolve the parliament on November 10 and call snap election on January 5th, 2019. Former UNP ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Rajitha Senaratne, John Amaratunga, Chandrani Bandara, Ravi Karunanayake, Gayantha Karunaratne, Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, former State Ministers Ruwan Wijewardene, Ajith P Perera, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Dr. Harsha de Silva and former MPs Hirunika Premachandra Mujibur Rahman, Harshana Rajakaruna and several other MPs were present at the court to watch the hearings.

Ministers of the caretaker government Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Udaya Gammanpila, former Parliamentarians Nimal Lansa, Arundika Fernando and Susantha Punchinilame also came to the Supreme Court.