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Sri Lankan prostrocrats take part in a candlelight vigil in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, November 11, 2018. Crowds demanded the restoration of democracy after the dissolution of parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena and the appeal to new elections. (Eranga Jayawardena / Associated Press)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The Sri Lankan President has declared that he has dissolved Parliament and called elections to avoid any violence in Parliament and in the country if it were necessary to vote to determine whether the Prime Minister of his choice or his sacked rival had the support of the majority.
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, President Maithripala Sirisena said he heard members from different parties report violence in parliament that could even result in deaths and clashes across the country.
"It seemed to me that if I allowed the convocation of the Parliament on the 14th, without dissolving it, it could have provoked troubles and fights in every town and village would create a very unpleasant and difficult situation for the average citizen of my country. loved, "he said.
"As such, the best solution was to not allow these 225 members of Parliament to fight each other and allow this to turn into street fighting in all parts of the country. It is my duty and responsibility to … create the situation for the 15 million voters in this country who makes the ultimate decision by appointing their members to Parliament through free and fair elections. "
US and foreign governments have expressed concern over Sirisena's decision to dissolve parliament on Friday and his dismissal of Ranil Wickremesinghe, which he replaced by former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe says his dismissal is unconstitutional and that he still has the support of the majority in Parliament.
Sirisena initially suspended Parliament until 16 November, pushing back the possibility of testing the majority. He then dissolved after being unable to obtain support for Rajapaksa and called for elections to be held on 5 January. Several political parties have announced that they will petition the Supreme Court on Monday to cancel the dissolution of Parliament.
The Office of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, recently expressed his concern.
"The Secretary-General emphasizes that it is of utmost importance to respect democratic processes and institutions and to resolve disputes in accordance with the rule of law and due process," he said. his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq.
In his speech to the nation, Sirisena also appeared to issue a warning that Wickremesinghe had remained in the official residence of the prime minister.
He added that only his new prime minister and cabinet ministers were allowed to use vehicles and state assets during the transition period, and that he would deploy police forces to take over the assets of the state. the state and prosecute the perpetrators of violations if these assets were not remitted.
Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, who were at the head of traditionally opposed parties, were part of a clumsy coalition government until the dismissal of Wickremesinghe on October 26.
The tension had been mounting for some time between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, who had introduced economic reforms that the President had not approved. Sirisena also accused Wickremesinghe and another Cabinet member of plotting to murder, a charge that Wickremesinghe repeatedly denied.
Sirisena also criticized the investigations of soldiers accused of human rights violations during the long-running civil war led by a Tamil separatist group in Sri Lanka, which ended in 2009. Rajapaksa, who presided over the presidency from 2005 to 2015, is considered a hero by the Sinhala ethnic majority. to win the conflict. But he lost a bid for reelection in 2015 following accusations of nepotism, corruption and war atrocities.
Rajapaksa left his long-time political party on Sunday and joined another, which could weaken Sirisena.
Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lankan Popular Front, a party of which he was the ghost leader for months. A large number of members of Sri Lanka's Freedom Party, Sirisena's party, are likely to join Rajapaksa because he has the largest number of supporters.
However, Rajapaksa and Sirisena said they would face the January 5 elections.
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, for a candlelight vigil protesting what they claimed was an unconstitutional dissolution of parliament.
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