We are not willing to use elections to bypass the constitution – Ranil

Ranil Wickremesinghe attends a press conference in Colombo on December 4, 2018. - Sri Lanka has been in crisis since October 26 when the president sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and appointed Mahinda Rajapakse, who was voted out twice by parliament last month but refuses to step down. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP) (Photo credit should read LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images)

December 5, 2018 (LBO) – Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe in a press conference today at Temple Trees reiterated his party’s firm stance that they are not willing to use elections as a means of bypassing the constitution.

While also telling media that they are ready for elections, he reiterated that the legitimate constitutional government must be restored before a resolution in Parliament is passed with a 2/3 majority to have elections.

He said that the date of a future election will be decided in Parliament in consultation with all parties. He pointed to the historical example of Hitler using referendums and elections to bypass the constitution.

“Don’t be like Hitler and some off the other dictators who used referendums and elections as a means of bypassing the constitution.”