SLPP skeptical over moves to postpone presidential polls

Bilateral talks between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) became hard and direct yesterday since the former raised doubts about purported moves by President Maithripala Sirisena to postpone the presidential elections.

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said at a press conference on Tuesday that the President would make a reference to the Supreme Court seeking an advisory opinion in terms of Article 129 of the Constitution whether he could serve till June 21, 2020.

He said the reference would be made on the basis that the term limit stipulated by the 19th Amendment to the constitution started from June 21, 2015 when the President signed it into law.

SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris raised this matter at the meeting yesterday and said it was preposterous. He said a similar reference was made to the Supreme Court whether the President could serve five years or six years, and the bench cut down the term limit to five years.

Therefore, he said the same legal point would apply on this matter, and it was absurd to make another reference. Prof. Peiris told the meeting that it was even more dangerous to note Mr. Jayasekara saying that the reference would be made to the Supreme Court once the new Chief Justice assumed office.

However, Mr. Jayasekara said he did not intend to mean such a thing at the press conference. He said he was only responding to a question raised by a journalist at the press conference the other day.

“It was not what I intended to say. I was responding to a question by a journalist,” he said.

Besides, the SLPP said the SLFP’s abstention from the budget vote breached trust between the two parties. Therefore, the SLPP said it was difficult to convince its rank and file on the importance of proceeding with talks. (Kelum Bandara)