Western nations displeased by President Sirisena's actions

Colombo (News 1st) - Several countries, international bodies, and individuals have expressed views regarding the situation in Sri Lanka. The US embassy issuing a statement noted that President Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament poses a vital threat to Sri Lanka's democratic institutions. It stated that "there is much at stake and such actions jeopardize Sri Lanka's economic progress and international reputation." The US embassy called on the President to respect his country's democratic tradition and the rule of law and to fulfill the commitments to good governance and democracy upon which he and his government was elected. Meanwhile, the US Congress has written a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena. The letter which bears the signatures of three congress members including the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka, Dina Titus says that 'we are gravely concerned about the decision to suspend your country's parliament and replace the Prime Minister through an extra-constitutional mechanism, we call for the immediate reopening of the Parliament and diffuse this crisis through a democratic process' The letter further reads "we feel that recent actions, if not corrected, will threaten your country's democratic development and derail the progress made in recent years." The letter goes on to say, "the political crisis which speaker Karu Jayasuriya has warned could result in a bloodbath and could have an impact on the MCC program, US foreign assistance and other US engagement and programs." "The US Sri Lanka partnership is built on shared goals of good governance and a commitment to democratic values. As such we urge you to signal your commitment to these values and rule of law by allowing Parliament to perform its constitutional duties without interference." Canada notes that they are "deeply concerned" by the decision to dissolve Sri Lanka’s Parliament. It noted that this political uncertainty is corrosive to Sri Lanka’s democratic future and its commitments on reconciliation and accountability." Australia has expressed its concern and disappointment with President Sirisena’s decision to dissolve the Sri Lankan parliament. In a release, the Minister of foreign affairs of Australia stated that "as a longstanding friend, we believe this action undermines Sri Lanka’s long democratic tradition and poses a risk to its stability and prosperity. We urge respect for the country’s democratic institutions and for all parties to continue to exercise restraint." UN Secretary General's Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq states that the UN hopes that the regular constitutional procedures will be followed and that they will monitor the situation in Sri Lanka to see what happens next. Norway states that they are "deeply concerned by President Sirisena’s decision to dissolve the Sri Lankan parliament on November 9th, just days before it was due to be reconvened." India's BJP Senior Leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy meanwhile says "it is a good decision since a majority based on defection maybe constitutional, but morality demands in a democracy that the masses/voters decide. The TNA had backed MR they would have got a good deal but SL Tamil leaders are suicide-prone"