Don’t run afoul of this Parliament, RW warns Sirisena

Sri Lanka's sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (left) looks at his party member Malik Samarawickrama’s phone during a news conference with Sri Lanka's Foreign Media Association in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 29 October – REUTERS

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was controversially deposed last Friday, remained defiant 72 hours after his sacking, vowing to leave office only if he is defeated in the legislature in accordance with democratic practice.

Flanked by ousted Government Ministers at the Official Residence of the Prime Minister – known as Temple Trees, where he has remained since his sacking, Wickremesinghe told Colombo based foreign correspondents: “I am confident that I am the only one who can get a majority.If someone else can show a majority, I will give way, as is practice.”

Wickremesinghe stopped short of calling the President’s action “a constitutional coup” as some of his Ministers have, but said the moves to depose him were illegal and a clear violation of the Constitution. 

Hundreds of supporters milled around Temple Trees, occasionally shouting slogans while Buddhist monks kept up an endless chanting of pirith and blessings on Wickremesinghe. JSS members said numbers were being boosted to about 1,000 overnight to prevent any attempt to forcibly take control of the premises. 

Inside the briefing room with foreign correspondents, Wickremesinghe called on the Speaker of Parliament to convene the 225-member legislature, so the vote of confidence could be called, in spite of President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to suspend sittings until 16 November. The Speaker was empowered to convene the legislature, Wickremesinghe noted.

President Sirisena’s decision not to consult the Speaker ofParliament before the suspension meant that the House could make the final decision, Wickremesinghe said.

“Parliament’s power overrides that of the President, who exercises limited executive power,” he added, in a further indication that during the political imbroglio, Wickremesinghe has decided to put his faith firmly in law and the Constitution.

The President’s powers were severely curtailed by the 19th Amendment, he explained.

“You don’t prorogue Parliament when you appoint a new Prime Minister,” Wickremesinghe insisted.

Responding to questions about alleged moves by President Sirisena to dissolve the legislature and call snap elections, Wickremesinghe charged: “Don’t run afoul of this Parliament – he does not have the constitutional power to do that.”

President Sirisena, in a national address on Sunday evening, made a scathing attack on his ousted Premier, calling him “arrogant, stubborn and inflexible” and accusing his Administration of rampant corruption and fraud. Certain Ministers were even involved in a plot to assassinate him, Sirisena claimed in an emotional speech broadcast on all local television stations. Sirisena said he could no longer work with Wickremesinghe and had no choice but to appoint Rajapaksa as Prime Minister “for the sake of the motherland”.

The same speech also made references to how he had risked his life to contest the 2015 Presidential elections – in which Sirisena’s opponent was his newly sworn-in Prime Minister.

Wickremesinghe declined to respond to the spate of allegations, saying: “In 2014, he said he couldn’t work with Mahinda Rajapaksa. But, I think we must be charitable towards the President.”

However, in an address to the nation on the lawn of Temple Trees last evening, Wickremesinghe took a harsher line, rejecting President Sirisena’s allegations and accusing him of using ‘childish’ arguments to justify his illegal action last week.

“This was an illegal, unconstitutional and opportunistic act,” Wickremesinghe told journalists gathered on the lawn. “Never before in history has this nation been plunged into political turmoil as deep as this,” he added.

Wickremesinghe reiterated his appeal to the Speaker to convene Parliament as soon as possible to end the stalemate.

Meanwhile, recently sworn-in Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed duties at the Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road yesterday. But, questions are mounting about the legitimacy of the new Administration outside of established constitutional procedure.

President Sirisena, who travelled to the deep south of the island with his newly appointed Prime Minister Rajapaksa, vowed to hold Provincial elections early.

The President also appointed two new Government spokesmen and said his Party Secretary would continue to hold the position of Agriculture Minister. President Sirisena also appointed three new Heads to the State media institutions.

Ministers loyal to Wickremesinghe condemned the move.

“All decisions taken during this period are illegal and will be declared null and void, and action will be taken against officials implementing these orders when order is restored,” said ousted Minister for Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera.

When asked if he felt he was firmly in control of the State machinery in light of his proclamation that he remained the lawful Prime Minister of the land, Wickremesinghe did not respond directly, saying the power vacuum that had been created was part of the constitutional crisis.

“Trade unions at media institutions are demanding to be allowed to pass the pages of national newspapers – they are taking over Government Ministries.It is unheard of before in this country this situation.What will they do next?”