Imthiaz, Pohottuwa rebels left out

The SJB yesterday (12) named SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper on its National List after the latter moved the Colombo District court against the party to prevent filling of NL slots without including President’s Counsel Kariapper.

The SJB named Mano Ganesan, Nizam Kariapper, Sujeewa Senasinghe and Mohamed Ismail for the remaining NL slots. Among those who were left out were Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Chairman of the SJB as well as Pohottuwa rebels Prof. G. L. Peiris and Dullas Alahapperuma. Both Ganesan and Senasinghe were rejected by the electorate at the general election conducted on Nov 14.

Earlier, the SLMC and SJB clashed over the failure on the part of the latter to include SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper on its National List.

SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem has moved the Colombo District Court against the SJB. The court yesterday (12) issued a restraining order preventing the SJB from filling the four remaining NL slots without including the SLMC’s Nizam Kariapper.

The District Court issued this order after considering a plaint filed by lawmaker Hakeem. MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara had been named as the respondent.

Of the five NL slots that had been secured by the SJB, only one was filled with SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara taking one slot.

The SLMC’s M.S. Naleem, the former Chairman of the Eravur Urban Council was appointed as NL member to fill the slot obtained by the party.The SLMC contested some districts on its own.The SJB obtained seven NL slots at the previous election held in Aug 2020.

Political sources said that in spite of several rounds of talks among political parties and groups that contested on the SJB ticket at the Nov 14 general election, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa couldn’t resolve the dispute. That led to the SLMC moving the District Court of Colombo. (SF)

National List controversy:

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Secretary to New Democratic Front (NDF) Ms Sharmila Perera yesterday (12) said that she couldn’t have further delayed the filling up of the National List vacancy under the circumstances.

The official said so when The Island sought an explanation as to why she informed the Election Commission of Faizer Mustapha, PC, as the NDF NL member without the backing of all political parties which contested under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol.

Of the four parties that contested the Nov. 14 parliamentary election on the NDF ticket, three backed Mustapha, Ms Perera said, adding that a decision couldn’t have been held up pending consensus among all four.

On behalf of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Podujana Peramuna and Nawa Sandhanaya, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa have endorsed Mustapha’s appointment. All of them were ex-SLPPers.

However, Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna has refrained from backing Mustapha. Its Secretary Dr. Ramesh Pathirana along with 17 other unsuccessful candidates have proposed former minister Kanchana Wijesekera as the NDF’s other NL member. That grouping according to Ms. Perera has claimed that Kanchana Wijesekera had the backing of former president Wickremesinghe.

The group consisted of ex-SLPP lawmakers.

Ms. Perera found fault with the absence of an inter-party mechanism to address such issues as appointment of NL members.

The NDF won three seats at the general election (Anuradha Jayaratne, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake and Rohitha Abeygunawardena representing Kandy, Badulla and Kalutara districts, respectively) in addition to two NL slots.

Responding to another query, Ms. Perera said that the selection of Ravi Karunanayaka and Faizer Musthapa couldn’t be compared as the former was chosen by the NDF in terms of the agreement with coalition members whereas Mustapha received the backing of three out of four political parties.

Ms. Perera said that she in her capacity as NDF Secretary in a letter dated Dec 10 informed former President and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of the circumstances leading to Mustapha’s appointment. “No. I didn’t receive Wickremesinghe’s response,” she said, pointing out delay on her part could have paved the way for legal action against the appointment. Ms. Perera was referring to the SLMC securing a court order to prevent SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara from filling three remaining NL slots without including SLMC General Secretary Nizam Karippah.

Ms. Perera said that several constituents of the grouping that contested under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol proposed various names to fill the remaining vacancy.

She pointed out that she delayed making the second appointment on a request made that the process be held up till the first week of Dec until Wickremesinghe’s return from an overseas visit. However, the NDF went ahead with the consent of the majority as the stakeholders seemed unable to reach consensus on the issue at hand, she said.

Ms. Perera revealed that Tissa Jayawardena on behalf of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) twice wrote to her requesting that former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena be named NL member. However, the MEP hadn’t been a signatory to the agreement with the NDF though he was identified as the leader of Podujana Eksath Nidahas Sandhanaya.

Subsequently, the same party has again proposed Dinesh Gunawardena and Tiran Alles as an alternative but none of the signatories were party to the original agreement with the NDF, she said.

Of the 225 member parliament, 196 are elected and the rest appointed through the NL. The National People’s Power (NPP) won 18 out of 29 NL seats, while the main Opposition SJB won five, NDF two and SLPP, ITAK, SLMC and Sarvajana Balaya one each.

The Supreme Court yesterday (12) ruled that the arrest and detention of former Western Province Governor Azath Salley under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was unlawful.

The SC ordered that compensation amounting to Rs. 75,000 be by the respondents, including former Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara and the CID Director

The police took Salley into custody on March 16, 2021 over a controversial statement at a media briefing on March 09, 2021.

He was accused of causing disharmony among ethnic communities.

The CID arrested him in terms of the provisions of the PTA and the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) Act.

The arrest was made following complaints lodged by the then MPs Mohamed Muzammil, Nimal Piyatissa, and Gamini Waleboda.

Earlier, Salley was acquitted of all charges filed against him in the Colombo High Court on Dec 2 2021, after nearly nine months in detention.