According to the Constitution, President Maithripala Sirisena has the power to run the country for three months using the funds of the Consolidated Fund, Skills Development and Vocational Training and Media and Digital Infrastructure Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing held at the Government Information Department Auditorium on Wednesday evening, he said, though the power granted to the President under article 150 of the Constitution permits the use of the Consolidated Fund to meet the expenses of the country for three months, there will be no need to use these funds.
The President will take action according to the Constitution. Usually, once the Supreme Court issues a Stay Order, it is applicable to both sides.
Therefore, one side cannot act ignoring the order.
Thus, the Speaker should have consulted the Attorney General (as he did in the past on several occasions), and inquired about the Stay Order and then announce it to Parliament. He did not do that. For example, once a Stay Order is issued against entering a land, no party can enter it. The people are questioning whether the MPs crossed over because they received money, he said.
According to the Co-Cabinet Spokesman and Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, the two gazette notifications issued by President Maithripala Sirisena to remove the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and to appoint the new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, have not been challenged in the Supreme Court and they are still valid. The removal and appointment made by the President is valid and in accordance with the Constitution. Only a Stay Order has been issued by the Supreme Court, based on the gazette issued to dissolve Parliament.