President repeatedly violates constitution: Anura

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today that it was unreasonable to allocate Rs.13,560 million to the President who had repeatedly violated the constitution and was not even in the country when his expenditure head was taken up for debate.

He told parliament that Rs.7917 million was allocated to the President in 2017, Rs.10,887 million in 2018 and Rs.13,560 million in 2019, while ministries under his purview were also allocated separate funds.

Speaking at the committee stage debate of the President's expenditure head, he said President Maithripala Sirisena had violated the constitution on several occasions.

"The President violated the constitution by dissolving parliament, appointing acting Appeal Court Head without approval of the Constitutional Council, appointing ministers who were not recommended by the Prime Minister and taking over the powers of the National Procurement Council through a cabinet paper," he said.

MP Dissanayake said the President was bound to adhere to the constitution and that he cannot work according to his whims and fancies.

"How can the President order other people to uphold rule of law in the country when he was violating country's fundamental law?" he questioned.

He said President Sirisena should take the responsibility for the inefficiency of the Bribery Commission and said he should explain reasons for the removal of former Director General of the Bribery Commission.

He said the Bribery Commission had filed cases only against lower ranking officers and that no cases had been filed against Prime Minister, ministers and those who are in top positions.(Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)