UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday warned that if Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was to continue to act beyond what his role permitted, the UPFA would be forced to take action against him in accordance with existing Parliamentary procedures.
Addressing a media briefing at the SLFP headquarters at Darley Road, the MP stressed that in no instance has a Speaker previously commented or released a statement on the prorogation of Parliament, thus clearly showing the
bias of the incumbent Speaker. The Sri Lankan Parliament has been prorogued on 42 instances from the time of it first being established.
Moreover, Jayasekara noted that the Speaker could not legally accept a motion to bring in a ‘No Confidence Motion’ when Parliament has been prorogued.
“He can only accept such a motion once Parliament is convened. And it is only the President who has the powers to convene Parliament and this is clearly stated in the Constitution,” he said.
“The Speaker, acting beyond his role is meeting ambassadors and has unfortunately become a pawn in a conspiracy hatched by the West and NGOs,” he noted.
“By trying to show that there is unrest and instability in this country, he is only playing into their hands.
Stop doing this. We however know he is being pressurised and threatened by the UNP to act thus”.
Speaking on democracy, he noted that no one spoke out when former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed in 2015 as the PM with just 47 MPs in Parliament and the JVP did not question the prorogation of Parliament when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga did it in 2004.
Jayasekara asked that all those who had a problem with the way the Constitution is being interpreted should seek an opinion from the Supreme Court. “Only the Supreme Court has the powers to interpret the Constitution.
So no one can say that we have done something illegal”.
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