The UNP and JVP did not seek legal interpretation when the Prime Minister was appointed but now seek judicial intervention after Parliament was dissolved because they are all having one political agenda and they know their fate, if they face an election, State Languages and National Integration, Reconciliation Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said. He said this at a press briefing held at the N.M. Perera centre in Borella yesterday.
He further said he had written to the Speaker on November 8, asking him if it was ethically right for him to have met with the foreign ambassadors at a time when Parliament was prorogued and discus Sri Lankan state problems and Parliamentary issues.
“I also wrote to the American House Speaker and asked him if he would under any circumstance, call on the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US and discuss state matters and Parliament matters with him. But, he did not respond,” Minister Nnayakkara said.
“I asked Speaker Karu Jauasuriya if what he was doing was right by meeting with the Ambassadors of countries that are clearly favouring the UNP and discussing state matters with them. He was responsible for ousting us from power and now he is acting as a porn of the UNP.
“It is the Executive who decides who the Prime Minister should be and not the Legislative. What the legislative does is implement laws, manage finances. It is the Executive that deals with matters of the Cabinet,” he added. Nanayakkara noted that the President is appointed by the people’s mandate and he holds the people’s sovereignty. Then the Parliament has the power which is only a Constitutional power.
“Then there is the sovereignty of franchise. Now the President appointed by the people vote says that a constitutional crisis has arisen due to the wrong decisions taken by the Speaker. The Speaker is trying to create a clash between Parliament and the Executive. Then it will be impossible for a government to function. Under such circumstances, there is only one solution, that is to allow the people’s sovereignty to give a verdict on this issue. That is what the President has done,” Minister Nnayakkara said.
Hence, I asked the Speaker in my letter, why he brought in the foreign diplomats to discuss internal matters of our country. The US had a big issue alleging the Russia had meddled in their elections and created undue influence. Now those very same countries are interfering in Sri Lanka’s internal matters. What right have they to meddle in our internal affairs.” “I accused him of being a partial person who favours one side and he was instrumental in bringing in the government. Previously when the former Prime Minister was appointed, the Speaker who did not talk about majority and allowed him to be appointed with some 40 seats in parliament. Today what right has he got to call for parliamentary majority? How can a government function in this manner? That is why the President had to dissolve Parliament and call for a general election.” Nanayakkara pointed out that the current President was appointed based on an agreement with the UNP, but he realised that he could not work with the UNP. Having called for elections, now the President’s party would contest with us and not the UNP. Even at the past Local Goverment elections, the President’s party contested independently.
“All this did not happen overnight. Now the government has been dissolved and UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera in a letter said once the government has been dissolved, how can the Prime Minister remain in office? That is like saying the gravy has remained after the pot had broken,” he said blaming Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for being responsible for this situation. “Then, they refused to accept the new Prime Minister who was appointed. The law cannot be manipulated according to anyone’s whims and fancies. Hence, what they should have done was to go to the Supreme Court at that time. If they had done so at that point, this complication would not have arisen. What they wanted was to create a riot and instability in the country at the point the Prime Minister was appointed and make the world this that the country is in anarchy. However, the people did not get sucked into such a situation and they acted wisely. They are trying everything to get Ranil back in the Prime Minister’s seat, but the President instead, has opted to let the people decide,” Nanayakkara said. Now they have gone to court. Let the court decide now and we will bow to the verdict given by the Supreme Court. The President, Parliament and the Judiciary have certain powers and the country functions smoothly based on the coordinated functioning of all these factors. If these factors cannot function together peacefully, then the government cannot function and at that point the government will have to change in order to resolve the issues and move forward.”
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