Considering petition against sacking of Ranil set on Jan 07
December 10, 2018 11:15 am
The Supreme Court has decided to consider the fundamental rights petitions against Ranil Wickremesinghe being removed from premiership on the 7th of January, 2019.
A fundamental rights petition, stating that the removal of Ranil Wickremesinghe from the premiership and appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa to the position is against the law, was filed before the Supreme Court, by a former Deputy Director of the President’s Media Division, Oshala Herath, naming the Speaker of Parliament, the Attorney General and all the Parliamentarians as the respondents of the petition.
The petitioner states that removing Ranil Wickremesinghe from the premiership and appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa to the position on October 26 is contrary to the provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Accordingly, he seeks a Supreme Court verdict stating that this action taken by President Maithripala Sirisena is a violation of fundamental rights and also requesting the court to issue an interim order halting the current Cabinet of Ministers and suspending Mahinda Rajapaksa from serving as the Prime Minister until the hearing of the petition is concluded.
Venerable Dambara Amila Thero too had filed a fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court against appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister following the removal of Ranil Wickremesinghe from the position.
Fifty-three individuals including former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, incumbent Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Attorney General have been named as the respondents of the petition.
The petitioner, Ven. Dambara Amila Thero has stated the decision taken by President Maithripala Sirisena on the 26th of October to remove Ranil Wickremesinghe from the premiership and to appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa to the position is against the provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
He too has sought a verdict from the Supreme Court that states this action taken by the President has violated fundamental rights and as well as an interim order suspending the activities of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the premiership and of the Cabinet of Ministers until the court concludes hearing of the petition.
