Roundup: Sri Lankan Opposition Criticizes President's Move to Prorogue ParliamentSri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's surprise move on Tuesday to prorogue Parliament which was poised to topple her ruling People's Alliance government through a joint opposition no-confidence motion and her call for a referendum on a new constitution have drawn criticism from political parties in the war-torn country.The government's parliamentary group including the cabinet of ministers has endorsed Kumaratunga's strategies to avoid defeat in Parliament. Government supporters have also commended Kumaratunga's decision to hold the referendum to get the people's mandate for the proposed constitution to find a lasting solution to the country's 18 year ethnic conflict. They say it was not a question of which party was in power but one of whom should be able to form a strong government to move the country ahead. The 1978 Constitution distorted the public will since it does not allow any party to form a strong government, therefore, it is a timely decision taken by the government to bring peace and economic prosperity to the nation. However, all opposition political parties have come out openly to condemn Kumaratunga's strategies, describing them as a dictatorial and high-handed action. Opposition leader and the leader of the United National party (UNP) Ranil Wickeremesinghe charged that the government was intent on driving the nation towards a dictatorial regime and called on all democratic forces including trade unions, civil organizations and the general public to rally round the UNP and defeat the autocratic leadership of the government. The JVP or People's Liberation Front, the third largest party in Parliament, has also reacted in similar fashion to the UNP. In a statement the party accused the government of taking the country towards a dictatorship. The mainstream Tamil parties were also equally strong in their opposition to the prorogation of Parliament. Tamil United Liberation Front President V. Anandasagair said his party strongly condemned the high-handed act by President Kumaratunga especially when the no-confidence motion signed by more than half the Members of Parliament had been tabled. Tilak Karunaratne, the leader of the Sinhala Urumaya (heritage) said the prorogation at a time when a no-confidence motion was to be debated was unjustifiable. The government was reduced to a minority of 109 seats in the 225-member Parliament on June 20 when its key Muslim ally the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress pulled out due to the dismissal of its leader Rauf Hakeem by Kumaratunga. The UNP submitted the no-confident motion to the Parliament two days later and plunged the country into a political turmoil. |
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