If President Maithripala Sirisena refuses to convene Parliament as requested by the majority of lawmakers, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will take measures to convene Parliament under “special circumstances”, popular website Colombo Telegraph has reported.
A final discussion to reach a conclusion in this regard is likely to take place between the President and the Speaker today it said.
This one-on-one meeting will follow Jayasuriya’s second letter to Sirisena reiterating the Speaker’s request to convene Parliament.
In his letter, the Speaker Says over 125 MPs from the United National Party, Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress have called for reconvening Parliament.
“As the Speaker of the House, I have to heed their request,” Jayasuriya said, expressing disbelief that a leader who sought a mandate to ensure good governance had prorogued Parliament by 18 days.
Jayasuriya sent a letter to the President after a discussion he held with leaders and representatives of all political parties representing Parliament, yesterday.
At the meeting, the JVP requested the speaker to convene Parliament forthright citing a similar decision by former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera who ruled in 2003 that the President’s power to prorogue, summon and dissolve Parliament must be done in consultation with Parliament itself. (Colombo Telegraph)
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest