President Sirisena while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on September 26th, urged the world to look at Sri Lanka with ‘a fresh pair of eyes’ considering the “tremendous progress” made by his government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedom, human rights and the rule of law. He went on to announce, “I am pleased to state that I was able to relinquish these emperor-like excessive powers and transfer them to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, fulfilling the utmost duty of an elected leader.” It is indeed an irony of the highest degree, exactly a month later, on October 26th, President Sirisena unconstitutionally sacked the Prime Minister and then prorogued the Parliament without consulting its Speaker, with the aim to give time ‘to alter the balance of power by unscrupulous means.’