News
Government asserts dissolving Parliament, setting dates for polls legal
10 Nov, 2018
The?Government today asserted that the decision taken by President Maithripala Sirisena to dissolve Parliament and set dates for elections in January, is legal and Constitutional.
Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the President has the right to dissolve Parliament and he had acted within those legal rights.
Reading from the Constitution?Rajapakshe said that the President can dissolve Parliament even before it completes 4 1/2 years.
He said that there are some additional powers given to the President under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution under which he can dissolve Parliament to resolve a political deadlock.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sarath Amunugama said that the actions of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also influenced the President’s decision to dissolve Parliament.
He said that the Speaker had attempted to go against the standing orders of Parliament when Parliament was to meet on November 14th.
As a result the President considered the actions of the Speaker and other issues and dissolved Parliament and called for elections. (Colombo Gazette)
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