Playing with the CONSTITUTION CONTINUES

Last Friday President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament creating yet another twist in the unfolding political crisis. Despite the protests, a written request by a majority of members of Parliament and requests made by the Speaker to convene parliament, the President went ahead with a clearly undemocratic and unconstitutional move to dissolve Parliament and call for elections. According to critics the last two weeks witnessed repeated violations of the Constitution when Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister; when the Cabinet was said to be dissolved and a new cabinet appointed; and of late when Parliament was dissolved. The spoke to some concerned parties in the legal field on their perspectives on the constitutionality of the move to dissolve the Parliament.