Party leaders urge reconvening of P’ment, offer no strings attached cooperation to fight COVID-19

Leaders of political parties from the last Parliament today issued a joint statement with the offer of sincere and responsible cooperation to the Government with no strings attached and in the interests of the country and the people.

The statement was signed by United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader Rishard Bathuideen, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU)’s Patali Champika Ranawaka and former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

“We are faced with an unprecedented national crisis which shows no signs of an early ending. As members of the dissolved Parliament, we are duty bound to fulfil our obligations to resolve this crisis in a spirit of responsible cooperation extended to the President. We also emphasise that all political parties and political leaders across the political divide have before them the challenge of transcending partisan agendas and working together for the common good of the people and the country amidst an unprecedented crisis,” the statement said.

The Group said that they are prepared to lend support to the Government in Parliament to achieve the above so that the governance of the country can proceed properly and lawfully, in compliance with the Constitution. “We assure the people of our country that we will not draw salaries nor attempt to defeat the Government nor thwart any of the legitimate actions of the Government during this period. Our good faith has already been demonstrated by the fact that we have cooperated fully with the Government in maintaining the ‘curfew’, although the same has not been imposed legally,” it said.

They urged the President to respond positively to this offer of responsible cooperation at this critical time, and revoke the proclamation dated 2 March dissolving Parliament so that all can jointly fight to eradicate this virus, and also ensure that everything is done lawfully and in compliance with the Constitution.