Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister GL Peiris has criticised the raising of the impeachment of the former Chief Justice by countries like the UK, US and Canada, reported The Island.
"We have the situation in which, for example, the prime minister of one country is specifically calling for the reinstatement of former CJ,
"On no basis can one justify that. How can the Prime Minister of one country call for the reinstatement of the CJ in another country? That is almost impertinent."
Peiris said that the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting by Sri Lanka was decided in 2009 and reconfirmed in 2011.
"At that meeting, long before the impeachment issue arose, the prime minister of Canada brought up the issue of the 2013 meeting and tried to re-canvass it,
"I strongly opposed that move. Fifteen countries took the floor to support me very strongly. It is only one country New Zealand that supported Canada."
"We cannot distort national policy. We cannot make decisions in this country with an eye who is coming and who is not coming. We cannot make decisions which are really the result of arm twisting."
The minister also pointed out that this sort of pressure was nothing new and Sri Lanka previously had to deal with demands to stop the war.
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