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Main opposition parties insist on re-summoning of Parliament
View(s):Main political parties have resolved to continue their campaign for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to re-summon Parliament and offered their support to pass required funds and regulations to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
These main parties will either write to the President or call on the President to re-summon Parliament.
But President Rajapaksa and a number of senior government members have ruled out re-summoning of Parliament.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya member Lakshman Kiriella told the Sunday Times that political parties were planning to write a joint letter to the President requesting him to reconvene parliament.
“Whether we go before the Supreme Court or not will depend on how he responds to our request,” he said. “We have already told the Government that we will give our fullest support to its efforts and will help to pass all necessary bills,” he said.
The former minister said they were of the opinion that the President’s proclamation dissolving parliament no longer had any legal standing.
“The proclamation states that the election will be held on April 25 and that the new parliament will meet on May 14. Neither of these is possible now,” he said.
UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had already called on the President to reconvene Parliament.
“We have already made it clear that we will help the government to pass the required regulations and obtain the required funds,” he said. He added that the party might not get involved in a joint move to call the President to reconvene parliament, but would continue its campaign.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna frontliner Nalinda Jayathissa said they would not get involved in the process of writing a joint letter to the President, as reconvening Parliament was a matter for the President. “Our party’s view is that he must follow the Constitution,” he said.
“If there is an issue regarding whether he is acting in violation of the Constitution, it must be brought before the Supreme Court. The SC will then give a ruling on the matter”.
The Tamil National Alliance is among the parties that has called for the reconvening Parliament.