News

Ranjan’s writ application seeking to save parliamentary seat dismissed

Published

2 years ago

2021/04/6

by Chitra Weerarathne

The Court of Appeal yesterday (5) dismissed without costs a writ application filed by Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Ranjan Ramanayake. It said that there was no legal basis for it to issue notice on the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and the Chairman of the Election Commission cited as respondents.

Ramanayake, MP for Gampaha District was recently found guilty by the Supreme Court for Contempt of Court and sentenced to jail. The Supreme Court ruled the MP, as the then member of the UNP parliamentary group, had insulted the dignity of the judges, at a public gathering in Colombo 3.

The Supreme Court imposed a four-year rigorous imprisonment term on Ramanayake as punishment.

Consequently, the Secretary General of Parliament, took steps to inform the Elections Commission that Ramanayake should be replaced by another person of the same party, who contested the Parliamentary poll of August 5, 2020.

Ramanayake, subsequently filed a Writ Application in the Court of Appeal, seeking a mandatory order on the Secretary General of Parliament, preventing the latter from taking steps to unseat Ramanayake.

Faiz Mustapha President’s Counsel appeared with, M.A. Sumanthiran PC, Suren Fernando and Keerthi Tilakaratne for Ramanayake.

Additional Solicitor General Indika Demuni de Silva PC, appeared with Senior Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle and Senior State Counsel, Dr. Avanthi Perera for the Attorney General.

The Court of Appeal bench comprised Justice Arjuna Obeysekera (President) and Justice Mayadunne Corea.

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News

Stay on course and don’t go back to the past – Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

6 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

Former Governor of the Central Bank delivering the keynote address at a high profile Webinar hosted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (24) said that Sri Lanka must implement the structural reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without relaxing like in the past or else we will be in a deeper economic mess.

The webinar was titled ‘What is next for Sri Lanka in the wake of the IMF programme’

News

Sustainable economic development goals cannot be achieved unless attention is paid to mitigating climate change – Sagala Ratnayake

Published

7 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake said sustainable economic development goals cannot be accomplished without taking steps to mitigate climate change.

He said this while participating in the 10,000 sapling planting program organized by the LEO Youth Vision 2048 Club and the LEO Club at the Royal College, Colombo on Thursday (23rd).

This program was organized in view of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s birthday, which is today (24), and the required plants were distributed to the main schools of the Colombo District.

News

SF claims thousands of police and military personnel leaving

Published

19 hours ago

2023/03/24

Thilina Walpola

By Saman Indrajith

Thousands of police and military personnel had left the services recently as they did not want to carry out illegal orders, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday. According to the war-winning army commander 200 policemen have resigned during the past two months and 25,000 soldiers have left the army during the last two years.

“We urged the law enforcement and military officials not to follow illegal orders. We will reinstate them with back pay,” he said.

Fonseka also urged the President and the government MPs not to take people for fools.

“Sri Lanka owes 55 billion dollars to the world. Ranil’s plan is to borrow another seven billion during the next four years. So, in four years we will owe 62 billion to the world.

Ranil and his ministers ask us what the alternative to borrowing is. These are the people who destroyed the economy and society. They must leave. Then, we will find an alternative and develop the country,” he said, adding that the IMF loans had made crises in other nations worse.

“Ranil says that by 2025, we will have a budget surplus as in Japan, Germany and South Korea. These countries are economic power houses, and this comparison is ludicrous.”