SL SHOULD UPHOLD RULE OF LAW: CPA

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) said Sri Lanka should uphold the rule of law as well as the essential role of Parliament as defined in and protected by the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

The CPA notes the announcement that Parliament will be reconvened on November 14 and expresses hope that the situation can be resolved at that time

In a statement on Thursday, it said the CPA Executive Committee, currently meeting in London, has noted with concern the recent political developments in Sri Lanka.

“The CPA notes the announcement that Parliament will be reconvened on November 14 and expresses hope that the situation can be resolved at that time,” it said.

In its statement, the CPA referred to the Commonwealth Charter, adopted by all Commonwealth member states in 2012.The Charter states that “governments, political parties and civil society are responsible for upholding and promoting democratic culture and practices,”

The CPA also referred to its Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures which state as follows: “Reinforcing the belief that effective Parliaments are one of the principal institutions of any functioning democracy, [the Benchmarks] provide a minimum standard and a guide on how a Parliament should be constituted and how it should function.the Benchmarks are therefore fundamental to the wider values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter,”

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive Committee is the principal governing body of the Association and includes Commonwealth Speakers and Members of Parliament.