Legal Govt. a must before elections - UNP Leader

If a General Election is needed, a legal Government must first be established and a motion to dissolve Parliament should be presented thereafter, United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today (4).

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By Sandun Jayawardana

If a General Election is needed, a legal Government must first be established and a motion to dissolve Parliament should be presented thereafter, United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today (4).

Addressing a media briefing held at Temple Trees a short while ago, Mr Wickremesinghe said if that motion is supported by 2/3 of the Members of Parliament, then Parliament can be legally dissolved and an election held. 

"As far as elections are concerned, we have only two conditions. First, it must be (held under) a lawful Government, and only the UNF and I can command that majority today. Secondly, all parties must agree," he added.  

The UNP Leader claimed all what they wanted was for the Constitution to be followed, and that this has been upheld in the recent decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, he added. 

"When you follow the written law, a Government must be Constitutional. It must be a Government which has the support of the majority in Parliament, and the Supreme Court has held that test has to be objective, not subjective," Mr Wickremesinghe said, adding that "the President can't decide this is what I want." 

"Don't be like Hitler and other dictators," Mr Wickremesinghe further appealed, adding that they would not allow anyone to bypass the Constitution. 

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