Speaker Karu Jayasuriya issued another strong statement today (11), urging public servants to refrain from carrying out "illegal orders" while accusing president Maithripala Sirisena of “usurping” the rights of legislators.
Jayasuriya emphasized that the executive has treated Parliament with "willful disregard", leaving the rights and freedoms of citizens at grave risk.“I have watched over the last two weeks as the executive branch has seized the rights and usurped the powers of members of parliament who were elected to represent the people. I call upon all public servants to refuse to execute any illegal orders they may receive, no matter from whom," Jayasuriya said.
Just five days before parliament was due to reconvene, after having agreed thrice to reconvene, Sirisena dissolved it and called for snap elections in January.
"Since the president has prevented parliament from ruling on the legitimacy of the president's actions, it will be up to the Supreme Court to determine the legality of these actions," Jayasuriya said.
Jayasuriya categorically denied claims made by the "purported foreign minister", Sarath Amunugama, who said parliament was dissolved because Jayasuriya was planning to prevent an address by the president when the House reconvened on Wednesday.
"I wish that the purported minister had proposed a more honest and plausible excuse for the actions of his colleagues, that would have drawn less ridicule to our country on the world stage," Jayasuriya said.
"Based on this fiction, several of his cohorts have openly threatened to send me to jail," Jayasuriya said, adding that he would gladly face any consequence for his actions to defend the rights of legislators.
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