EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATURE ON COLLISION COURSE

President refuses to accept decision of Speaker

In what appeared to be a clash between, the Legislature and the Executive, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday declined to accept Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’ s ruling and instructed the new government to forge ahead.

The Speaker informed the President in writing that the decision taken by the President on October 26 was rendered invalid as per the no confidence motion adopted yesterday (14).

The President took the position that it was not the role of the Speaker to decide who the Prime Minister is. Accordingly, he had taken a decision to respond to the Speaker in writing today.

The government had also given instructions to use force, if necessary, against former ministers of the UNP who try to enter into their former ministries.