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Last Monday’s Supreme Court ruling declaring null and void the merger of the northern and eastern provinces set off a chain reaction in Parliament on Tuesday with the TNA parliamentarians disrupting sittings in protest while the JVP and the JHU parliamentarians hailed the verdict.

TNA MPs occupied the Well of the House chanting slogans against the de-merger bringing sittings to a close a mere half an hour later. The scene was repeated on Wednesday but after several government members intervened, the TNA members decided to walk out of the House saying the party would make a statement the following day.

On Thursday, TNA MP Gajendrakumar Ponammbalam -- in the absence of several senior TNA MPs -- made a statement announcing that the TNA would boycott sittings till November 7 by when the party expected a formal reply from the government to the TNA demand that the President and the Government “immediately take necessary action to validly restore the status quo ante pertaining to the re constitution of the north and east as one unit.”

But the JVP members who petitioned the Supreme Court seeking the de merger held quite a different point of view.

JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa said that now the north and east had been de merged, immediate action must be taken to hold elections in the eastern province and give the people of that province the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

“This ruling is a defeat to Tamil separatism and should not be reversed under any condition,” he said.

This was totally contrary to the position held by the TNA which said the door to finding a negotiated settlement to the national issue, within a united country, would be permanently closed if the court decision was not reversed.

Supporting the de merger Minister A.L.M. Athaullah said there were better prospects for peace now that the two provinces were separated and all three communities could live in unity However SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem expressed reservations about the de-merger and was cautious when saying it would be too naïve to assume the Muslims would be overjoyed knowing fully well the timing and the implications of this judgement.

The Government and the UNP did not express their opinion on the court ruling but nevertheless it is an issue that both parties will have to address before long given the political fallout.

Meanwhile Parliament also unanimously approved the new Companies Bill to amend and consolidate the law relating to companies as well as amending the Banking Act to revive the now defunct Pramuka Bank.