WE’RE READY FOR ELECTIONS; BUT ELECTION IS NOT THE ISSUE: RW

Indicating that his party can support a motion in House to ask President to dissolve Parliament and go for an election, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Parliament can decide on having an election, the type of election that should be held and when it should be held.

Election is not the main issue today. The main issue is to safeguard people’s rights, to ensure that the Constitution of the country is followed

Buddha told the rulers of Lichchavi to gather peacefully, confer peacefully and disperse peacefully

Mr. Wickremesinghe made this indication at a public rally in Kandy on Saturday.

“Parties in Parliament will decide on the election. They will decide on the date of the elections as well. They can also decide whether to hold the presidential elections first or the general elections. Parliament can decide on the elections with a two thirds majority. The main issue is not an election but to safeguard the rights of the people,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said. “Election is not the main issue today. The main issue is to safeguard people’s rights, to ensure that the Constitution of the country is followed. If a group does not have a majority they should resign. They cannot hold on to power like leeches. If they do not resign even after November 29, when the next vote is taken in Parliament, we will have to take to the streets,” he added.

“It was proved on Friday that Sirisena/ Rajapaksa clan has no majority. The appointment of committee on selection was approved. Five were appointed by UNF, five from UPFA one each from JVP and TNA. This was approved by 121 MPS one was absent as he was indisposed. We have 122 with him. We are bound to get the support of more MPS soon. We were able to prove that we have a majority because of the straight forward attitude of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. He faced issues which no other speaker in the world had faced. They carried the speaker’s chair out of chambers. They tried to steal the Mace. They pushed the table on which the Mace is kept down. A Christian MP sat on the Speaker’s chair and threw the Bible. We respect the books of all religions just like the Dhammapada. We all consider these as holy books. What’s more can you say about these people. Are they MPS, human beings or animals? Are we going to hand over the country to such people?,” he also said. “Buddha told the rulers of Lichchavi to gather peacefully, confer peacefully and disperse peacefully, what happened recently under the rule of those who claim to safeguard Buddhism? Did they gather peacefully, confer peacefully and disperse peacefully?. The yahapalanaya was based on these principles of Buddha. This policy was to hold Parliament sessions, make decisions there and preserve media freedom. These were the very principles that were betrayed on October 26, 2018. We ensured media freedom. What is media doing today? They did not publish the speech made by Sampanthan and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. They only published the media conferences,” Mr. Wickremesinghe further said..

UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said he is ready to keep one foot forward if the working committee of UNP tells him to do so.

MP Rajitha Senaratne said the political crisis was created as the cases against those in the previous Rajapaksa government were to begin in special courts. These were to continue daily and the wrong doers were going to behind bars. “This crisis was created to avoid this,” he said MP Patali Champika Ranawaka said a general election can be held only under a legal government.