Speaker should mediate to resolve conflict: Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya should work towards resolving the ongoing conflict between the Executive and the Legislature and thus bring about normalcy to country, newly appointed Minister of Education and Higher Education Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament yesterday.

Mr. Rajapakshe expressed this sentiment participating in yesterday’s parliamentary sessions despite the decision by the ruling party members to boycott sessions.

“The Speaker can and should take an initiative to resolve the present political crisis which has turned into a conflict between the legislature and the executive. This conflict is taking a heavy toll. People keep on questioning as to what is going on in the country ,” Mr. Rajapakshe said.

“The conflict will affect the country further if it drags on,” he added.

Further he said the matter could be resolved in a simple manner and added that the person or the group which has the majority in the House should be allowed to form and run a government.

He recalled that a national government was formed in 2015 since no one got a majority but both President Maithripala Sirisena and the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe failed to restrain the members in their camps.

Mr. Rajapakshe who responded to a question raised by journalists later whether he had come back to the UNP, said President Sirisena was a UNP president as he was their candidate at the last Presidential election. “I was a member of the cabinet headed by Mr. Sirisena in 2015 and I am still a member of his cabinet. Mr. Sirisena is the candidate who was backed by the UNP at the last presidential election,” he said.

UNP MP Rajitha Senaratne said the proposal made by Mr. Rajapakshe should be welcomed. He said any conflict could be resolved peacefully though such an exercise is a difficult one. Dr. Senaratne recalled that the South African conflict was resolved though it was a difficult task.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya assured that he will discuss with the President. “There is no barrier for me to speak with the President,” he said.

This conflict is taking a heavy toll. People keep on questioning as to what is going on in the country