Ranil aware his removal from premiership Constitutional: Dilan

SLFP rebel group frontliner and former minister Dilan Perera yesterday questioned as to why Ranil Wickremesinghe did not seek legal remedy and go to the Supreme Court challenging his removal from premiership and toppling the Yahapalana Government by President Maithripala Sirisena.

He said Mr. Wickremesinghe was aware that his removal from the prime ministerial post and ousting of his government had been done Constitutionally.

He told the media in Colombo that the UNP did everything within its capacity to challenge the actions of President Sirisena from inciting trade unions, issuing statements, bringing supporters to Colombo and holding media conferences, but failed to do the most appropriate thing, which was to seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court as Mr. Wickremesinghe knew he could not win a Constitutional challenge on the issue.

“The removal of Mr. Wickremesinghe from the post of Prime Minister was in accordance with paragraph 42 and sections I, II, III and IV of the Constitution. Soon after the UPFA General Secretary sent a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya that the UPFA withdrew from the Yahapalana Government, the Cabinet is deemed dissolved and subsequently the post of Prime Minister, vacant. According to the Constitution, the Cabinet can have more than 30 ministers only in a multiparty unity government. When the UPFA quit the government, the Cabinet still had more than 30 ministers. Therefore, the Cabinet was dissolved and the post of Prime Minister fell vacant,” he said.

Responding to a journalist, Mr. Perera said the government, with the assistance of the Interpol, would do its utmost to bring down the prime suspect in the Central Bank bond scam.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala said seating arrangements in Parliament would be altered according to the change of power for the ceremonial sitting on November 16.

Replying to a journalist, he said Mr. Wickremesinghe was appointed as the Prime Minister soon after the January 2015 Presidential election and following the same Constitutional theory, President Sirisena on October 26, 2018 replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The removal of Mr. Wickremesinghe from the post of Prime Minister was in accordance with paragraph 42 and sections I, II, III and IV of the Constitution