I’M COMPELLED TO ACCEPT STATUS QUO PRIOR TO OCT.26

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday he was compelled to recognize the status quo that existed in Parliament prior to October 26 on the basis that a majority of parliamentarians were of the opinion that the changes made on October 26 and thereafter were undemocratic and inconsistent with parliamentary traditions.

The request handed to me under the hand of 116 parliam entarians from the UNP, the TNA, the JVP and the SLMC states that the move by the President violates Sri Lanka’s Constitution and is undemocratic

He said these parliamentarians had requested him in writing to recognize the status quo that existed prior to these changes until such time that any new political alliance managed to prove a majority support in Parliament.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Speaker said that even though he had so far remained silent at a time our Motherland was embroiled in an unprecedented crisis, he considered it was his paramount duty to act in accordance with his conscience to protect the rights and privileges of the majority of parliamentarians while preventing the destruction of democracy that we have nourished and safeguarded up to now.

“I strongly believe that the request submitted to me under the hand of 116 parliamentarians from the United National Party (UNP), the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) stating that the move by the President is unconstitutional and undemocratic,” the Speaker said. “when I met the President on November 1, he informed me that he would pay attention to the request made by me to summon Parliament and would brief me that evening.”