News
UNF urges Speaker to summon party leaders’ meeting
View(s):The United National Party and its United National Front constituent partners wrote yesterday to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya urging him to summon a meeting of party leaders with a view to convening Parliament early as they could prove they had the majority in the House. A spokesman for the Office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times last night that UNP chairman Kabeer Hashim and secretary Akila Kariyawasam
had sent the letter to the Speaker saying the ouster of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was unconstitutional as they could prove they commanded the confidence of a majority in Parliament which the United People’s Front Alliance (UPFA) was unable to do. The letter was sent in response to the prorogation of Parliament by President Maitripala Sirisena till November 16. The spokesman said this was due to the UPFA needing time to canvass UNP MPs to support them in the House.
Meanwhile, the spokesman said that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had yet to receive the letter by President Sirisena removing him from office but had written to the President that he was the constitutionally appointed Prime Minister and continued in office. “I command the confidence of Parliament as contemplated in Article 42 (4) of the Constituiton…,” the Prime Minister said in his letter.
The spokesman denied social media reports that the Government had withdrawn Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s security. His security detail remained as of last night.