Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena’s media advisor Shira Lakthilaka has justified his decision of dissolving the Parliament and removing Ranil Wickremesinghe from the post of the prime minister, in an interview with India Today TV
Lakthilaka said, “I don’t see any violation in these decisions. These decisions were taken after taking into consideration four corners of the Constitution and it is a fact that even the Opposition didn’t go to challenge his first decision which is the removal and appointment of the prime ministers. On the issue of dissolution, they have indicated that they are going to courts on Monday, but I’m quite sure the president’s discretion is rational and it is taken after considering the relevant sections of the Constitution.”
The media advisor hinted that the country was prepared for snap polls and could handle any situation, like India. Talking about the preparations for polls, he said, “Sri Lanka is a democratic country and we have the experience of eighty years of holding elections. So our election commission as well as various election departments are equipped to handle any kind of situation, like India. Right now, elections have been called in January so people will come and vote. That is the best way of ensuring democracy in the country.”
The Sri Lankan government was condemned internationally for its decision of removing Wickremesinghe. However, Lakthilaka found the international condemnation as ‘rhetorics’ and asked, “Why didn’t the Opposition go to the court on removal of Ranil if the president was wrong?”
Lakthilaka pointed out there were loopholes in the Constitution that allowed such a presidential coup.
Furthermore, Lakthilaka also said the international community was concerned about Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resurgence but President Sirisena was committed to continue the good principles and policies like the reconciliation policy, human rights, freedom of speech and good governance.
When asked if New Delhi needed to be concerned about the situation, Shira Lakthilaka assured: “This government has to be with India and India has to be with this government.”
Discussing about the China-India factor, Lakthilaka confirmed its stand that “both the countries are important to Sri Lanka and therefore, they need to adopt a non-aligned stand between the two neighbouring nations to balance its relations.”
Thought the Sri Lankan government is confident of the Supreme Court’s decision, but if there was an adverse judgement, the media advisor said, then the Parliament would reconvene and the president would again appoint another prime minister and the cycle could go on.