6 April 2022 12:00 am Views - 442
By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane is reported to have ruled out the possibility of Parliament to ask President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down .
At the hurriedly summoned party leaders’ meeting in Parliament, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has sought parliamentary intervention to prevail upon the President to quit in a move to douse tension in the country.
However, the Speaker has rejected it saying Parliament has no democratic right to ask the president to resign. He said the current crisis should be resolved only through democratic means.
He said the President had called for the parties to get together and evolve a solution to form an interim government. The Speaker said it was up for the people who elected the President to decide on it.
Also, the opposition declined to join hands with the government for an interim government.
Meanwhile, the government’s parliamentary majority was shaken after 42 MPs including ten from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) vowing to sit independent in the House. On behalf of the SLPP group, MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa announced the decision to function independent of the ruling side. Afterwards, former President Maithripala Sirisena announced the decision of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
MP Wimal Weerawansa who spoke on behalf of the 11 party alliance spelled its decision once again and asked the Speaker to intervene.