President Chandrika Kumarathunga dissolves Sri Lanka parliament paving a way for April election
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
February 08, 07.00 AM:Using her authority provided under the Sri Lanka's Constitution, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga dissolved the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka, paving way for General elections on 02 April 2004.
* The Special Gazette notification issued on Saturday midnight dissolved the Sri Lanka's Parliament
* Nominations for the general elections would be accepted from 17 February to 24 February 2004.
* Elections to Parliament would be held on 02 April 2004.
* The new Parliament would begin its first sittings on 22 April 2004.
Earlier, the General elections for the 12th Sri Lankan Parliament was held on 05th December 2001.The next parliamentary elections, if not dissolved were due in 2007.
The Sri Lankan President dissolved the 225 member unicameral Sri Lanka’s National State Assembly - Parliament at a time a time when an alliance between her Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was showing promising signs of winning an overwhelming victory in the country.
Immediately before the dissolution of the parliament pro-Tamil Tiger elements and pro ruling United National Party elements in the South held a public meeting in the new town hall building in Colombo demanding that the parliament should not be dissolved
The ruling United National Party used diplomatic channels to bring about pressure on the President not to hold parliamentary elections at this time.
But seeing all political stakes developing in the country were in favor of an opposition take over of the government of the ruling United National Party led Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe the President dissolved the parliament.
It is common practice under Britain’s Westminster system of parliament to dissolve the legislature and go to snap elections. It is a prerogative vested in the executive of the country in countries following the British system of Parliament
Under the Sri Lanka constitution article 70 The President may from time to time, by proclamation summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament and the President would dissolve the parliament after an elapse of a year following a general election.
Pro-LTTE Trotskyite Marxist, Vasudeva Nanayakkara who was strangely teaming up with the right wing pro-Western Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing a New Town Hall meeting of a movement called the Movement for Democracy and Peace said that under no circumstances the Parliament should be dissolved and fresh elections held.
Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the New alliance of the opposition parties between the SLFP and the JVP put forward conditions that could not be accepted by the LTTE at all and bring any peace in the country.
Another speaker at the meeting Kumar Rupasinghe, the estranged ex-husband of Sunethra Bandaranaike, the sister of the President, said paving the way for a general election should be somehow stopped. Kumar Rupasinghe is a Norwegian funded NGO-head alleged to be dealing closely with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
But Anura Bandaranaike, brother of the President who brokered the new alliance between the SLFP and JVP predicted an overwhelming victory for the new alliance in April.
Meanwhile it is learnt that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, has cancelled his scheduled visit to Thailand on Monday after President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved Parliament.
Together with the dissolution Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and PA Secretary D.M.Jayaratne were sworn in as new ministers of the cabinet.
