Expulsion of MP:  ‘Judgment could help cleanse political culture’

Former Chairperson of HRCSL Prof. Deepika Udagama says the Supreme Court judgment pertaining to Environment Minister Zainul Abdeen Nazeer Ahamed underscores the urgent need to take steps to restore public confidence in the parliamentary system.

Asked by The Island whether that would help cleanse an utterly corrupt political party system, Dr. Udugama said: “The lack of democracy within political parties and, very certainly, the unethical practices of politicians have ruined our political system. Sadly, the legal system itself facilitates these transgressions to a considerable extent.

In that backdrop, the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in the Nazeer Ahmad v. SLMC case is a boon to democracy-loving citizens of Sri Lanka. The crux of the Court’s judgment is that while political parties must follow principles of natural justice before expelling members, those members who seek refuge in the purity of those principles must themselves be principled and act in good faith. Here the MP was found to have knowingly flouted his party’s policies by voting for the 2022 Appropriations Bill. The MP had not claimed that

he voted for the Bill as a matter of conscience having discussed the matter with the party. This judgment can go a long way in ethicizing the unholy political culture of Sri Lanka if we the citizens put it to good use. In the same spirit we must also continue to demand that an MP who crosses over will lose one’s seat. Opportunistic party-crossovers by elected representatives is a grave violation of the sovereignty of voters. It is a travesty that the legal system permits such violations. The law must change.”