Sri Lankan court stays President's order dissolving Parliament

Sri Lanka's parliament has been convened today following Supreme Court decision to stay President’s Gazette for dissolution of parliament and holding of early elections. 

The three-judge bench headed by chief justice gave its ruling this evening on petitions against the President Maithripala Sirisena’s Gazette to dissolve parliament. 

The court has put an injunction on gazette till  7th of December and will hold further hearings from 5th December. 

The court also ordered the Elections Commission to halt preparations for the general elections scheduled for January 5th. 

United National Party (UNP) led by ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe welcomed the decision terming it as the end of the coup. 

Mr. Wickremesinghe said in a message that the people have won their first victory. He said the



order shows President is not above law and can’t play around with constitution. 

Mr. Wickremsinghe said, Parliament will reconvene tomorrow and he will show his majority in the house. 

The Parliament was to convene tomorrow before it was dissolved by the President last Friday. 

Namal Rajapaksa, MP and son of new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his reaction said, the court’s decision is only an interim order and not final decision while another minister said the case is still on and they are confident that dissolution will be upheld. 

The political crisis in Sri Lanka began when the President appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as new Prime minister replacing Mr. Wickremsinghe. 

He followed it with the prorogation of Parliament and finally with dissolution.