Court cannot order the President to appoint a PM - President

COLOMBO (News 1st) - President Maithripala Sirisena speaking exclusively to the Lankadeepa newspaper today (December 09) said that necessary documentation has been prepared for the establishment of a commission to probe into the corruption and financial mismanagement carried out by a few people during the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe. He stated that the reason for the current political instability in the country is the ambiguities that have arisen due to the 19th amendment. The article quotes the president as saying that Ranil Wickremesinghe and his subordinates had drafted the 19th amendment to completely destroy the country. He had also noted that if not for this amendment that these issues could have been resolved without judicial intervention. The president further noted that politicians must be allowed to solve their issues and that if this wasn't taken to court it would have been resolved by now. The President added that reckless individuals are the people behind this destructive political trap. Speaking further during the interview the president said that the court or parliament cannot order the president to appoint a prime minister. He added that the president is elected in an island-wide election and that parliamentarians are elected to represent their district. The President said that parliament was dissolved because no faction had a majority in parliament and because parliamentarians were being bribed to cross over. Meanwhile speaking at a separate event held in Pollonaruwa the president commented on the current political situation in the country. He had said that although there is a prime minister and a cabinet of ministers, their activities have been halted and that now the President has been constitutionally vested with the power to run the country. President Sirisena continued to say that he believes the judiciary will give their verdict soon, so that democracy in the country could be strengthened, the economic development plan of the country can continue, and especially the budget proposal for the end of the year can be passed because there are a number of economic decisions that must be taken. He further added that he will respectfully accept any decision handed down by the court and will act in accordance with that verdict.