WILL STAND UP TO EXECUTIVE NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS ME
The leaders of several political parties represented in parliament have informed me that they will be challenging the purported dissolution of parliament in the Supreme Court
Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday explained that it was his privilege to stand up to the Executive and defend the rights of Parliament, the supremacy of our Constitution and the sovereignty of the people.
Issuing a statement, he said he was prepared to face any consequences for these actions without hesitation.
The statement said,“the leaders of several political parties represented in parliament have informed me that they will be challenging the purported dissolution of parliament in the Supreme Court. Since the President has prevented parliament from ruling on the legitimacy of his actions, it will be up to the Supreme Court to determine the legality of these actions. As the custodian of parliament, I have watched over the last two weeks as the Executive seized the rights and usurped the powers of Members of Parliament who were elected to represent the people.the wilful disregard demonstrated by the Executive towards parliament, the engine of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, leaves the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens at grave risk of similar abuse.
Under these dire circumstances, I urge all public servants who have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution to revisit that oath. Ask why we are required to pledge fealty to this document and not to any one person or a single position of power. Our foremost duty is to the Constitution. I ask all public servants across the country to remember their obligations to this supreme law of our motherland and safeguard the independence of the public service, police and the judiciary. I call upon all public servants to refuse to execute any illegal orders they receive, no matter from whom.
Every citizen who is entrusted with responsibilities under the Constitution should think first of the country and not of party politics or personal affiliations. We must all act with patriotism and independence to safeguard the future of democracy in our country.
I lament that the purported foreign minister, a highly regarded politician, has falsely alleged that I intended to prevent the President from delivering the Statement of Government Policy when parliament reconvenes on November 14. It is on this imaginary premise that the he suggests that parliament had to be dissolved. I wish that the purported minister had proposed a more honest and plausible excuse for the actions of his colleagues, that would have drawn less ridicule to our country on the world stage. Based on this fiction, several of his cohorts have openly threatened to send me to jail.
The actions of the Speaker and parliament may not always be aligned with the wishes of the executive. A floor vote on the legitimacy of the government was requested by 124 Members of Parliament. 116 of them met me in person. Another eight thereafter contacted me and expressed their support of this motion.