In another blow to President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lanka's Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya on October 31 refused to endorse the President's dismissal of the Prime Minister for a former strongman accused of rights abuses, the clearest sign yet the move may be unconstitutional, reports Daily Mail. Jayasuriya's refusal bolstered Wickremesinghe's claim that the President acted outside the constitution by dumping him for Mahinda Rajapakse, a former President who ruled with an iron fist for a decade.
Meanwhile, a group of civil society representatives has met with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on October 31 to hand over a petition urging to reconvene Parliament immediately to establish democracy in the country, reports Colombo Page. The Office of the Speaker in a statement said the petition which contained approximately 16,000 signatures obtained through internet was handed over to the Speaker, urging Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to reconvene Parliament immediately to establish democracy in the country.The petition also requests the state officials to refrain from adhering to illegal directives, the statement said.
Separately, Nava Sama Samaja Party Leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne on October 31 said they would launch a massive trade union action and a riot in protest of President’s decision to remove Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and proroguing Parliament unconstitutionally, reports Daily Mirror. He told a news conference that the country had plunged into a serious crisis and requested the President to restore democracy in the country by convening Parliament immediately. “President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa were acting against the Constitution disregarding Parliament. We consider this a political coup,” he said.