Constitutional, Parliamentary crisis worsening due to AG Dept. oversight: SB

 Caption S.B. Dissanayake

• Accuses Speaker of despotic behaviour, acting “crazy”
• Govt. members speak with PM Rajapaksa to decide on Speaker’s biased behaviour, plan to meet President Sirisena 
• Faults AG’s Dept. officials for impasse 
• Denies speculation over referendum but acknowledges Executive powers to consider option
• Affirms ready to face proper no confidence motion against PM Rajapaksa
• Says MS-MR is best alliance to provide sustainable solution to issues of north and east 
• Given the opportunity, confident of building a strong govt. with support of minority parties to secure majority of 125 in Parliament

By Charumini de Silva

Parliamentarian S.B. Dissanayake yesterday claimed that the crisis in Parliament was getting worse as a result of the failure of lawyers from the Attorney General’s Department to recommend the prorogationof Parliament until the Supreme Court issued its final verdict on the dissolution of the House.

“Our lawyers and the officials of the Attorney General’s Department didn’t emphasise or highlight the proroguing of Parliament in the Stay Order issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday and as a result now we are in a crisis which cannot be solved through Parliament. Now the constitutional and parliamentary crisis is getting worse,” he told journalists at the Highways and Road Development Ministry yesterday.

Dissanayake also accused Speaker Karu Jayasuriya of indulging in despotic behaviour by failing to adhere to proper parliamentaryprocedure.

“The Speaker came in a ferocious mood. I suspect that he has gone crazy. He is not agreeing to listen to any suggestion. He is just complicating the situation more without trying to provide a solution to this crisis,” he claimed.

To take a decision on the behaviour of the Speaker, he said they had a meeting with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa last morning and were hoping to hold discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena very soon as well.

Denying speculation that President Sirisena was planning to opt for a referendum, Dissanayake however said the Executive had all the powers to consider the option. 

Acknowledging that the only way to oust the prime minister was through a no confidence motion, Dissanayake stressed they weren’t afraid to face it if the Opposition moved it in Parliament in accordance with the proper procedure.

“The Opposition currently has about 107-108 seats, but that is not a problem for us. We are confident of defeating a noconfidence motion if it is moved following proper Parliamentary procedure. But we hope to go for an election because the people of Sri Lanka have sovereignty,” he added.

According to his calculations, given the opportunity to go for a general election, they would be in a position to build a strong government with a majority of 125 with the support of minority parties.

He said that during provincial council polls, 95% of votes from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) went to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which resulted in the party’s major victory, noting that the majority of people voted for the SLPP because they believed in Mahinda Rajapaksa. In the same way, for the first time in history, the SLFP and United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) gained the major share of minority votes because they believed in President Maithripala Sirisena.

“The Maithripala Sirisena-Mahinda Rajapaksa partnership is the best and only way we can come up with a sustainable solution without any objection from all countrymen to issues in the north and east,” he added.