Impeachment of the President considered

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 July 2001, 18:09 GMT]
The opposition parties Monday decided to bring an impeachment motion against President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. Briefing the press on Monday, Mr. Ranil Wicremasinghe (UNP), the Leader of the Opposition, said that constitutional experts are studying the charges and an impeachment motion will be filed with the Speaker within two weeks.

A local resident rides his bicycle near the Parliament in Colombo, Monday, as the posters of President Chandrika Kumaratunga are added on with "Swastika." Opposition lawmakers forced their way into the suspended Parliament in the morning, announcing they would file impeachment against Kumaratunga.Photo: AP

Leaders of all parties constituting the opposition, except the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Sinhala Urumaya (SU), participated in the Press conference.

"Clause 63 of the constitution has empowered the parliamentarians to safeguard the constitution of the country," said Mr. Wickremasinghe. "The Speaker's ruling that he has no authority to re-summon the parliament, prorogued by the President, has seriously infringed the rights of parliamentarians".

Mr.V.Anandasangaree of the TULF, Mr.A.Vinayagamoorthy of the ACTC and Mr.Rauff Hakeem of the SLMC also spoke at the press conference. They said they joined hands irrespective of party politics to "safeguard democracy and the supremacy of Parliament."