Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today said Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa should act according to the ruling given by late Speaker Anura Bandaranaike in responding to the judicial process against the parliamentary select committee that probes allegations against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.

The late Speaker ruled in 2001 that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to give restraining orders against Parliament. He ruled that the Speaker was not bound by such rulings.

Making his submission in the House on the privilege issue raised by the government against writ applications filed in the Court of Appeal in this regard, Mr. Wickremesinghe said though there was a conception of three pillars of governance, people’s sovereignty was the only one pillar enshrined in the Constitution.

 “There are five aspects to safeguard people’s sovereignty. They are the  people’s executive power, judicial power, legislative power, fundamental rights and their right to exercise their franchise. We have to act according to the J.R. Jayewardene Constitution whether we like it or not, in dealing with this issue of impeachment,” he said. (KB &YP)