The country has been in a deadlock for several weeks because the Electoral Commission refuses to release funds for local elections. A Supreme Court ruling ruled that the Treasury Ministry cannot retain them. The Card. Ranjith stated: “The government must respect the decision, otherwise it undermines the foundations of democracy.”
Colombo () – The Archbishop of Colombo, Card. Malcolm Ranjith referred to the political deadlock that has been created in the country with the postponement of local elections and stated that the deputies should resign and allow the people to elect a new government. “The rulers have created a lamentable situation, and if the deputies and ministers have the courage, they should resign their posts and allow the people to elect a new administration,” the archbishop declared yesterday at a press conference at the Archbishop’s House.
“You cannot say that the Sri Lankan people like these rulers, because we voted for another program that no longer exists. On the contrary, they are trying to impose different programs,” the cardinal said. He also called for action to be taken against deputies who try to reduce the authority of the judiciary. The government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe has repeatedly stated that it is impossible to hold the elections scheduled for March 9 and later postponed by the Electoral Commission, due to “lack of funds.”
However, earlier this month the Supreme Court issued a ruling that the government has no right to withhold the funds, and obliges the Treasury to allocate them. “No one has the authority to interfere in the decision of the Supreme Court. It is clear that the sentence issued on March 3 binds the president, the government and Parliament in equal measure,” Card stressed. Ranjith. “They must respect the decision, otherwise they would be undermining the foundations of democracy.”
“It has been reported that two deputies described this decision as a violation of their parliamentary privileges by the Supreme Court. This matter should cause great concern,” the cardinal continued, insisting that no one can interfere in judicial decisions with the pretext of parliamentary privileges: “I ask that measures be taken against these deputies to guarantee that the freedom of the judiciary is respected,” he added.
The archbishop then pointed out that trying to postpone the elections by interposing obstacles of various kinds is undemocratic: “The government has no power to take away the rights of the people; if it did, it would become a dictatorial regime.”
The cardinal also condemned the privatization of the port of Trincomalee, whose sale, according to some reports, would have been negotiated favorably to foreign companies. The Card. Ranjith commented that it is a very sad situation and such actions cannot be approved.
