Parliament will reconvene tomorrow - Speaker

The Speaker’s Office has issued a statement saying that the Parliament will reconvene tomorrow (13).

“In terms of the Gazette Notification No. 2095/50 dated 4th November 2018 issued by His Excellency the President, the Hon Speaker informs that Parliament will meet at 10.00 a.m. on 14th November 2018 (tomorrow).”

“The Speaker requests all Members of Parliament to attend the Parliament sessions,” the statement said.

Meanwhile the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has also called for a special party leaders’ meeting tomorrow (13), in the wake of the court order suspending the Gazette issued on the dissolving the Parliament.

A party leaders’ meeting, chaired by the Speaker will be convened at 8.30 am tomorrow (13) at the parliamentary complex, the Speaker’s Office had said.

The Supreme Court today issued an interim order temporarily suspending the Gazette notification issued by the President on the dissolution of Parliament and calling for fresh polls.

The court also issued an interim order on the Elections Commission preventing the holding of a general election.

The interim orders were issued effective until December 7.

On Oct. 26, President Sirisena abruptly ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

A day later he prorogued Parliament, allegedly due to lack of support to show majority, and fixed the next session for November 15.

He later ordered Parliament to return on Wednesday (Nov. 14), but then dissolved it last Friday and called for new elections in January.

Prior to the Gazette issued on the dissolving of Parliament the President had issued a Gazette to reconvene the prorogued parliament on November 14th at 10 am.

The court’s order on Tuesday means that parliament will reconvene on Nov. 14 as earlier decided by the president. 

Following the announcing of the decision of the court, UNP MP Ajith P. Perera said Parliament will meet Wednesday to prove that Wickremesinghe has the support of a majority of lawmakers.

Sirisena said in a statement on Sunday that he dissolved parliament because he feared the eruption of “widespread violence” when the house was due to reconvene on Nov. 14. 

He also referred to allegations of bribery by saying members of the legislature now had “price tags” on them.