AMN / COLOMBO
Sri Lanka’s United National Front (UNF), led by ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickresmsinghe, has decided to challenge in the Supreme court the President’s decision to dissolve Parliament. The decision was taken after a parliamentary group meeting of UNF this morning. The case will be filed on Monday. UNF and some smaller parties termed the move as illegal, unconstitutional and unacceptable. The new government has sought to defend the dissolution saying President Maithripala Sirisena is empowered to do so.
The President had dissolved Parliament through a gazette notification last night and called for elections on 5th January.
Parliament term was to expire in August 2020 and early elections has been called almost 20 months before it was due. The move comes exactly two weeks after the President appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as new Prime Minister replacing Mr Wickremsinghe.
As per the 19th amendment to the constitution, President was not empowered to dissolve the parliament till completion of four and half years of its term or till two thirds of the house recommended for dissolution. The last Parliamentary elections were held in August 2015 which did not give clear majority to either of two main parties. However, both parties of Mr Sirisena and Mr Wickremsinghe had come together to form a national unity government which broke down on 26th of last month leading to crisis.