Ranjan Ramanayake praise President for binding the UNP together

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Supreme Court has decided to extend the interim order issued against the enforcement of the Gazette calling on the dissolution of Parliament issued by the President on the 9th of last month. The interim injunction has been extended until tthe 8th of December. The seven-judge supreme court bench, headed by Chief Justice Nalin Perera, ordered to hear the petitions filed against the Gazette will enter its fourth day tomorrow (December 07). The Counsels representing Udaya Gammanpila and five others, who filed intervening petitions, presented facts before the Supreme Court today (December 06). President's Counsel Gamini Marapana presenting facts before the court said that an ambulance driver has the ability to ignore road rules if the patient he is transporting, is in a critical state adding that similarly the Parliament was dissolved by the President to minimize the turmoil and to protect the people's sovereign rights. Counsel Marapana further said that if it is determined that the actions of the President was wrong and the Gazette is made null and void that the parliamentarians will have to convene parliament and ask the president to dissolve it once again. He further added that the president has the power to dissolve parliament at any instance, once it is prorogued, and call upon an election. President's Counsel Ali Sabry who was also representing the intervening petitioners noted that when a similar situation arose at the Indian Parliament, the Parliamentarians had approved a motion and the Parliament was dissolved. He added that the situation was resolved through this. President's Counsel Manohara De Silva said if the request made by the petitioners to cancel the gazette issued by the President is granted that there is a huge risk of the country going into disarray. PC Manohara De Silva noted that it is the duty and the responsibility of the Supreme Court to not allow the country to go into a situation of disarray, where the budget cannot be presented. He added that the interim injunction order must be dissolved and that an environment where the people are allowed to elect people they like should be created. The President's Counsel added that the Court should act within its framework and according to the current rules and regulations. The President Counsel further said that regardless of whatever is mentioned in the law, the people hope a positive decision will be granted by the Supreme Court taking into consideration the current political situation. PC Manohara De Silva further arguing said the people who compiled the 19th amendment to the constitution have themselves, granted the powers to the President to dissolve Parliament. He added that when taking a look at the structure of parliament, no political party or alliance has the majority mandate adding that the people who are affectionate towards the country, hope for the power to establish a strong government with a majority mandate. Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the UNP Sajith Premadasa speaking to the media said that the country being stagnate at present is a tragic situation and foreign investments worth millions of dollars are been withdrawing from the country. Premadasa said that greed for power, political envy and hypocrisy is dominating our country and that as a result the population of 22 million has been completely ignored. Further, he expressed his belief that President Sirisena will act within a constitutional and legal framework, to re-establish the national government comprising of the UNP and UNF, and reappoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as the prime minister in order to reinstate the government to what it was before the 26th of October. UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma said that major issues have arisen in the country due to the absence of a prime minister because the country is incapable of making decisions. He continued to say that as a citizen of the country, he believes that the judiciary should be held accountable for the current situation as it stems from their decision to restrict the functioning of cabinet. Also commenting on the recent political turn of events, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that they will not bring in a No confidence motion against the President yet because they still have full confidence in him. He continued to say that by next week everything will be brought back to normal and that then the people could see what happens to whom. MP Ranjan Ramanayake also commented saying that President Maithripala Sirisena will always have his respect because it was he who filled in all the mishaps within the UNP and bound it all together.